Breaking Dimensions
by RaveyRai
Summary: Bonnie did a spell that transports her to a different universe, and into the past no less. Apparently she's a ghostly witch, and her roommates are homicidal vampires. First inspired by Being Human UK. Post 4x03
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Bonnie did a spell that transports her to a different universe. Apparently she's a ghostly witch, and her roommates are homicidal vampires. Inspired by Being Human UK.

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**Disclaimer: I do not TVD, their characters, or Being Human though I won't be referencing it that much anyway**.

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**Ch. 1**

'Oh no…oh no, oh no, oh no!'

Bonnie Bennett was apparently dead.

And not, "Oh you're so dead, Bonnie Bennett, when I'm through with you!" kind of dead.

The actual dead—dead.

She also has not a clue where she was or how that came to be. All she knew was that the only beings that can have their hands go through a doorknob and have the laws of gravity not effect them twenty-four/seven did not walk among the living anymore.

And that's what she wasn't doing right this instant.

"Okay, Bonnie, you can fix this. You can fix this. You're a Bennett. You have the power of a hundred witches dormant in your body. You _can_ fix this."

She looked at her hand. It looked quite solid quite solid to her. She then went to the door that was an entrance and an exit to the room she found herself in. Not focusing, her hand went right through its doorknob again when she tried to grab it. Heart (or lack thereof) picking up its pace, she focused and grabbed the door successfully to open it and look out into the same hallway she saw earlier. One that was very familiar but she couldn't bring herself to wonder why since she's—well—not living anymore.

Okay.

So. She got herself into this mess, now she has to get herself out of it. Whatever _it _is.

She lost her focus and her hand went through the knob once more, making her gasp and catch herself from falling face first. Funny she could still stand firm on the wooden floor at this very moment but she couldn't grab a friggin' doorknob. It was only a matter of time before she started floating in her hysteria and bumping her head against the ceiling.

She plopped on the plain bed that sat against the far side of the room with a huff. She almost went right through that before willing herself to be solid.

Ah. Much better.

Ok. Now. How did she get here?

She was having one of _those_ episodes back home. Losing her grandmother…_again, _Elena being a vampire, Klaus still being alive, no one coming to see if she were ok—unless they needed something from her, and her father still not being present due to his work schedule. It was becoming too much for her to handle. She felt as though she had no one, and the more she told herself this silently in the darkest depths of her brain, the more she could hear the dark magic willing her find comfort in it. Of course, she eventually ignored it but it terrified her immensely.

She was the neighborhood witch. Control was the one thing she had, the one thing she prided on. Her loyalty could not be challenged. It was as solid as a diamond. "Strong" was what everyone deemed her as.

She was just able to walk amongst the dead for her friends.

She was able to cross over-

The girl looked down at her hands and frowned. Whatever happened to her now, this must be the witches' payback for going against the laws of nature for said friends.

All she wanted to do during her episode of silent hysteria was go back in time to go…maybe before Elena and Matt rode off the bridge? Before Damon turned her mother possibly? Maybe before she lost Grams—the first time around? Or perhaps before the Salvatore's ever came into her small town where everything was normal and expected?

She was just _so tired._

Bonnie was strong but not immortal.

She was powerful but not a god.

She was a teenage girl who had the responsibility of the entire town on her shoulders because she was the only one that cared for everyone…_not_ just Elena.

She never asked for any of that and yet-

Bonnie took in sharp breaths though no air actually went through to her lungs.

A door appeared in her room during her spell back at home. She figured it was symbolic of passing to another time_-not another life!_

Her breaths cut short when she heard voices downstairs. Jumping to her feet, she went to the door, self conscious about making noises when she realized that there was no need for that thought. She was practically a ghost here.

Shudders erupted through her body at the thought; ghost. _Dead_.

What if her spirit was the only thing that actually crossed over? What if she voluntarily killed herself back home? What would they possibly do without her?

"It's quite old. Has a bit of a history...I don't know if I understand Mr. Salvatore...a boarding house?"

"Yeah. It's not a problem is it?"

"No...But isn't it just you? Why would you want this big of a place-"

"No. It's not just me. There's my brother too."

"...Well. Alright I guess you can have a look around, see how you like it and we can talk about signing a lease and all that legal business once you're done."

All Bonnie could do was stand there petrified as she heard the younger Salvatore climb the steps. How she was able to hear them so well was beyond her but she didn't have enough time to wonder how that was possible.. She took deep breaths, rationalizing that he probably couldn't see her and that this situation she was now wouldn't take too long to correct. At least the spell worked after all, just in a way she didn't imagine.

She heard him on the other side of her door now, still talking with the real estate agent. Gulping but refusing to move, she fixed her face to look like that of defiance. She was on a mission, and she will fix this. She had to.

Stefan opened the door, "-Right, my brother is on his way. He'll probably be here shortl-"

-Wait-Damon hadn't come into town the same exact time as Stefan had he? They didn't agree on the other's presence in such a-casual and non-hostile way the first time around-

Stunned but curious green eyes fell over her as she stared back rigidly, not moving at all.

"What was that Mr. Salvatore?"

Stefan blinked, "Huh?"

"Your brother? When might we expect him?"

The youngest Salvatore blinked some more and looked to the agent who was looking into the room as well but didn't seem to notice Bonnie at all. He pushed the rim of his glasses up his nose as he turned back to the vampire, "Is there a problem?"

Stefan looked to Bonnie again, tilted his head and then turned to look further into the house, "Not that I can tell. I can't really account for when Damon will decide to pop up but he promised to be here."

"Uhm...right...I guess," the agent glanced back into the room, still bewildered, but left, closing the door behind him.

Bonnie let out a thick and heavy sigh of relief, allowing her body to relax and taking note on how, despite her body not being physically solid, she still felt an ache from standing as still as she did.

But now she was curious, if not concerned. Why didn't Stefan say anything? It's not everyday you see a silent, possibly angry, black girl with a dried up nosebleed, standing in the middle of a room inside a house you're interested in buying. Especially if your agent couldn't see the girl but you could.

...in fact...that should have alarmed him.

It should have disturbed him a lot more.

Then again...he's a vampire so perhaps "ghosts" weren't really on his list of things he's afraid of.

She found herself pacing and she wasn't sure for how long either when the door reopened to reveal Stefan. He leaned against the doorframe to watch her calmly.

She jumped when he cleared his throat to alert her of his presence but she collected herself and raised her chin up slightly. No matter what, she can not show weakness even if Stefan was supposed to be the good one out of the two.

"Hi...what's your name?" he started carefully.

That took her by surprise, "Bonnie."

She mentally slapped herself in the head. If this was the past she couldn't give him her real name. What if she ran into her past self? What if he did? How was she supposed to explain that?

"Bonnie," he tried the name out as he gave her a patient grin, "Do you need to wash up?"

Whatever look she gave him he replied quickly, "The blood on your face-and-well I guess if you're not living anymore...personal hygiene isn't the top of your priorities list."

_What makes you think I'm dead?_

Stefan's brows rose, "I can't hear your heartbeat or your breathing."

She frowned. How exactly could he hear her thoughts and what did she have to do to make sure that didn't happen again?

Bonnie grew a little self-conscious before she wiped the dried blood with the sleeve of her turquoise shirt, not saying anything, only staring at him. The silence answered her previous question and she sighed with relief internally. Stefan crossed his arms again, watching her, "Bonnie...did you used to live here?"

"No," she immediately answered.

"Did you... die here?"

Bonnie looked down. She felt as though she had, more than once.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to...your death is personal."

Death.

So many times had she been ready to die for her friends. For Elena. So many times had she willed herself to prepare for her death because she is the witch, and it was her duty to keep the unguarded safe. She was a Bennett, and Bennetts...died.

But even though that was the case, to grasp the possibility that she had already died was beyond her. She didn't quite believe it-she didn't want to.

She _died_ and yet here she was at the Salvatore's. Not even in death could she get away.

That upset her a bit, so much so Stefan stood up straight in bewilderment before murmuring to himself that she disappeared. She still stood in front of him, however, with a bitter feeling in her gut.

Wanting to get out of the Boarding house, she found herself staring up at the edifice from outside in the next moment. She wanted to go home, and the next second she was outside of her house. Shuddering as she climbed the porch steps, she raised her hand to knock only to realize that it was silly. She then looked around to make sure no one saw her, and walked through the door to her much needed sense of "home".

Except for the little fact that it wasn't her home at all. There were pictures of people she didn't recognize on her walls with furniture she never seen before around her. A little red haired boy galloped down the stairs and ran right through her to get to the kitchen with a distant voice, she guessed was his mother, telling him to stop running in the house.

It was so shocking to Bonnie that she stepped back out of the foreign place, mouth agape.

"I need to find Elena," and she turned on her heel to find herself in Elena's room, her sister from another mister brushing her hair in front of her vanity mirror. Bonnie felt elated tears come as she stood behind her best friend, basking in a little normalcy.

Elena paused and turned to her, making the witch hold her breath, hoping that she could see her.

"That's strange," Elena turned back to her mirror. "Thought someone was watching me for a second."

"Probably a ghost. _Uuuwwww_~" Caroline mused, waltzing into the room with a teasing grin.

"Oh Caroline!" Bonnie nearly shrieked with joy, wanting to embrace her other best friend. Caroline wasn't a vampire here. Her Carebear was _alive_!

Both of them.

Leaving Bonnie with more incentive to drive the Salvatore's out.

"Is it just me or did it get ridiculously cold?" Caroline said lounging on Elena's bed with a magazine in hand.

"You're right...it did," Elena finished brushing her pin straight hair, setting her brush down on the dresser to turn to her blond friend. "I don't think I turned the AC on either..."

"Maybe you are haunted."

Bonnie looked about Elena's room, looking for traces of her past self. There were pictures of Elena and Caroline with a couple of other people they knew. There was a picture with her and Jeremy, and then Matt. There were Elena's parents. Or at least the parents that they grew up with thinking were Elena's biological parents.

"Where am I?" Bonnie whispered to herself, a new fear bubbling up inside of her.

"So I saw the way Matt looked at you today."

"Please Caroline. I really don't want to talk about him...after everything that happened..."

"Right, right. I know. The accident and all. I'm really sorry about that but still. It's Matt."

"Care."

"_Sorry_," Caroline rolled her eyes and turned to another page in her magazine.

Bonnie looked for herself on the cheer leading squad picture that sat on Elena's other dresser. She couldn't find herself at all.

She started to feel sick.

"Well what about that new guy with the nice back?"

Elena let out an airy sigh, "The last thing I have on my mind is being in another relationship...regardless if he has a nice back or not."

"That back is sturdy. Can you _imagine_ the kind of scars you can make-"

"Caroline!"

"What?"

Bonnie looked at them both, not remembering them ever being this close.

Ever.

It was as though she never existed.

Her stomach fell, as a cry escaped her mouth and both girls jumped, alarmed. Covering her mouth, Bonnie wanted nothing more than to fade into the background as soon as both of her friends looked directly at her.

"Did you see that?" Caroline exclaimed, incredulous.

"No."

"I promise you it was like a shadowy mass like figure! You didn't see that?"

Bonnie felt tears roll down her face as she proceeded to shake her head, not believing the state she really found herself in.

The witches _definitely_ did a number on her.

* * *

She's going to have to get used to popping up randomly in different settings. Apparently this "ghost" business comes with a new slew of powers to add with her witchcraft. If she even had that anymore.

The shock of not existing in this dimension or at least her past self not living in Mystic Falls ever, made her appear on the Salvatore's couch in their living room just as soon as both brothers set it down on their stupid expensive rug. She wasn't in the best of moods, and startling them gave her a little satisfaction despite her current situation.

"The hell?" exclaimed the eldest Salvatore, warranting a roll of the witch's eyes. That was enough to guarantee her that as far as personalities went, nothing's changed.

Stefan was curious again before looking up to his brother, "Damon, meet our other housemate, Bonnie."

She just _had_ to see the look on Damon's face. He seemed incredulous enough, not really wanting to believe it. Instead of addressing her, he looked to his brother, a little irritated, "So we have Casper to account for here too?"

Stefan sighed, "It's not like she's going to raise the electricity bill Damon."

"You don't know that. She might call up ectoplasm from the floor and ruin my Persian rug. I don't know about you brother, but I don't think we have anything in this known world that can steam clean ghost plasma from carpet."

Note to self, Google ectoplasm and figure out how to conjure it through solids.

"And _don't_ get any ideas," he warned her as if he read her mind. Even in a different world he _knew_ her! Can't she get a break?

"Too late," Bonnie retorted, sinking into the couch further, hugging herself. If she was in a better mood, she would have gave herself a pat on the back for not sinking any deeper into the couch to the point she phased right through it. That would have been embarrassing.

"Can't we bless the house and force her to move on into wherever spirits go to?"

Stefan shot him a glare; Bonnie wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"What? We signed the lease. The house is ours now."

"Believe me, being here is the _last_ place I want to 'haunt' for eternity," The teenager spat icily, glaring in front of her, not looking at either brother.

She had no other place to go. Not Elena's, Caroline's, or her home. Grams wasn't here either. She checked. Her heart lurched in want and relief. There may be an absence in what her life used to be but that didn't necessarily mean it didn't exist elsewhere.

"Then can't you haunt my brother's high school? There's boys-or girls. Whichever floats your boat."

And then she imagined brain vessels exploding in his head, and every time she heard a "pop" Damon's cry of pain came right after as he hissed, grabbing at his temple and kneeling beside her.

All the while, she refused to look at him.

He groaned a "stop" as Stefan put a hand to her shoulder, startling her. Her focus disappeared, now looking to his hand that didn't budge. Her eyes trailed up to his face that looked a bit amazed too. Touching people was now a thing. Well…vampires, at least.

"What was that," Damon managed to let out, having a bit of trouble getting back on his feet as he glared daggers at the girl, ready to tear at her throat like he did last time-or in the near future.

"An aneurysm," Bonnie looked ahead again. "The brain vessels in your head go 'pop' and since you're supernatural and have heal quickly, I can do it over, and over, _and over_ again."

The brothers grew quiet, so quiet that Bonnie had to force herself not to look at either of them in question.

"That's great. Try at this being human thing and the first person we meet knows we're anything but. _And they're not even alive anymore._ I told you, Stefan, humans-dead or alive-do not mingle with vampires," Damon plopped on the recliner across from her as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Whew, for a minute there she thought she gave a human Damon an aneurysm. And she didn't want to feel any sort of sympathy or regret in giving Damon pain. He deserved it each and every time-even if he would never hurt her here like he did before.

The thought made her look further from him.

"Alright. I'm getting sick of the self-righteous attitude, _girl_. What is your deal," the eldest Salvatore said in a low growl.

"What? Does it bother you _that_ much that I don't want to look at you because the very sight of you makes my skin crawl?"

"We never met!" he exasperated, throwing his hands in the air. Seriously? He just met the girl and she was already getting under his skin. Then, after a long pause, he looked at her again, "...did we?"

She opened her mouth to retort they would but he had a point. "No." Well... "I still don't like you."

"You're proving to be the worst forced upon roommate we ever had."

"Good."

"I say we call a priest since blessing the house probably isn't strong enough to kick her out."

"You might want to try for someone stronger. Not sure if a priest ever dealt with a ghost who was a witch when she was alive."

"..._No wonder_! Self-righteous, judgmental, and gave me a headache without a bat of an eye. Not to mention you hate me for no viable reason. Of _course_ you're a witch. Our luck," he drawled sarcastically from beside her.

She still refused to look at him.

And that was really starting to piss him off.

Stefan sat beside her and she didn't make a stir to move or disappear. He then looked at her with those patient eyes of his before he spoke carefully, "You'll have to forgive my brother-"

"He doesn't deserve my forgiveness."

"Which is _baffling_ considering I haven't done _anything_ to you!" The nerve of this girl!

"_Yet_." she added.

"Not sure if you noticed this but you're _dead_ already, witch. I can't do anything to you even if I tried."

"He does have a point," Stefan agreed, not looking away from her.

Bonnie bit her lip. One of the worst things to ever consider was being wrong and Damon being right. It was hard not to treat this Damon the way she always treated Damon back home. Especially since everything her Damon (UNGH) did to her didn't or won't ever happen here. Like he said…without any of this knowledge.

But...that doesn't mean their presence here won't affect Elena either. Her past self probably did not live here but her friends still do and the Salvatores coming into town definitely had a negative impact on all of their lives.

She owed it to them to drive the vampire brothers out.

How...was the question.

"Why are you two-here?"

"Now Sabrina wants to start up harmless chit-chat? She's a _doll_, Stefan. You sure know how to pick 'em."

"Would you _shut up_," she snapped, head finally turning to him to glare at him with all the hatred she somehow managed to subdue for such a long period of time, "all you've done since I showed up was _complain_! '_No wonder'_ I can't stand you already. So '_forgive_' me for not putting up with your snide crap, Damon. I had a _very_ bad day today and since I'm _dead_ I have an eternity to make your un-dead life a living hell. Try. Me."

There goes her cool. He got to her.

Ghost-witch and homicidal vampire glared angrily towards each other but the surprising thing was that Damon didn't snap back. She expected him to. And it kind of unsettled her that he didn't.

Stefan cleared his throat, deciding that was the perfect time to answer her previous question, "We just...wanted to come back to our home town...and start over."

Bonnie turned to him and realized something she hadn't thought about before. Last time, Stefan came back to do that, alone. Then he met Elena and it was imperative that he stayed. Now the brothers are here together. Damon came to cause trouble in Stefan's life and to get Katherine out of the tomb last time but since he's already here...

Was that still the case? What was the brothers' history now?

"Start over?"

"He wants to so desperately be human. I find it ridiculous but he's my little brother," Damon finally murmured, waving it off altogether as he pushed himself to his feet and walked over to the liquor dresser to pour himself a drink. He apparently spent little time making sure he brought that into their new home. Bonnie willed herself to not roll her eyes.

Stefan, on the other hand, kept his eyes on Bonnie, almost pleading with her. She didn't understand why before thinking harder on her and Stefan's relationship. He didn't have to do much to get her to comply with him...because all Stefan had done, before what happened to her mother, was try to be as normal as a vampire could get.

And he had no problem following her conditions-or try to at least.

She was a witch that made sure the balance of nature was not at risk due to the monsters of the night. And Stefan was a walking unnatural thing that understood he was that risk.

A monster.

Bonnie frowned. Apparently he saw her more of an obstacle at having a little bit of normalcy now than when she was alive: a ghost-witch that didn't have the burden of human weaknesses to hold her back.

She looked away from him.

"We can leave since this place is initially yours-" Stefan started; he then raised his hand to stop his older brother from protesting.

She couldn't tell this Stefan to pack up their things and get the hell out! Why was this a lot more difficult than she imagined?

"The room's freezing," Damon muttered with a gruff as he poured himself a second glass. "Probably getting ready to tell us to leave. Typical."

"Can't he go and you stay instead? I don't have a problem with you," that much-anymore, Bonnie finished as she looked at the dead fireplace.

"Also didn't see that one coming," The eldest vampire replied snippily.

His luck. A judgmental ghost-witch staying with them that already couldn't stand his guts? Then again, what witch were best friends with him anyway? Not to mention the ever-surprising thing that this witch also had to prefer his younger brother to him. So, so, _so surprising_.

Stefan grinned to her, "Thanks, but we're a total package, my brother and I."

Bonnie wrinkled her nose. Cute but not what she necessarily wanted to hear at that moment.

"Would it satisfy our ghostly highness that I get an apartment across town?" The dark haired man pressed with a roll of his eyes.

"How about two towns over?"

"That would be making your life a little too easy. I was put here to ruin it."

"You do a good job at it."

"Thank you. At least you can give a compliment where it's due."

"You don't have much to compliment on, all things considering."

"And that's where I beg to differ."

"Go right ahead. It doesn't change my opinion."

"Right. Opinion. The _fact_ is you might hate my guts now but there's definitely something you have for me under that judgey exterior of yours."

"If that puts you to sleep at night."

_God_, this girl was infuriating.

"Guys," Stefan spoke up to stop the charade. This was going to prove very trying for the younger Salvatore.

Bonnie sighed, "I need a moment to myself."

And just like that, she vanished.

* * *

She was in that room again, lying on her side listlessly as she stared at the door that brought her to this dimension in the first place. Why couldn't it have brought her to a dimension where there were no such things as the supernatural? Or at least one where Damon wasn't a complete ass, still? Or one where she had a chance to do it all over again but do it right? It wasn't fair…but when has Bonnie Bennett's life ever been fair?

All she knew was that every action and choice she made had a consequence and every time she dealt with it. She'll have to just deal with this one, like she always does.

Her eyes were fixed on the door, trying to remember what spell she used. She couldn't remember anything. There were candles, which were normal, and all that blood from her nose that traced around and on top of her chanting lips. Then a door appeared and she felt that the gravity of the world was lifted off her shoulders. It was as if it beckoned to her, and it promised things that no one else at the time could ever offer her.

Peace.

Silent tears still followed the law of gravity as she let them fall. How could she be so stupid?

"_You're killing yourself!"_

Oh Jeremy…if only—

"Haven't seen Greta in a while. Maybe she did us a favor and left."

Oh great. Her morning just couldn't get any better. She had been AWOL for a couple of days and even though the youngest Salvatore came to "her room" to check on her he couldn't see her. Which she was thankful for.

However, she didn't like this being-able-to-hear-everything-in-the-house ghost perk at all. She really had to find a way to turn that off.

"No, I think she's still here," she heard Stefan say. She guessed they were in the kitchen, only because it sounded like they took breaths to drink something she didn't want to think about.

"Is it just me or do you _like_ having a ghost witch haunting us?"

"She's not haunting us."

"She broods. Well, there goes a reason why you two get along so well."

Bonnie sat up, pulling her legs over to dangle off the edge of the bed.

"Or maybe it's because I wasn't making insensitive comments about her every chance I got."

"Don't start regretting it now," Damon teased, "I make sure I take every opportunity by storm."

"Asshole," Bonnie muttered, immediately finding herself sitting at their table, farthest from them. They were stunned at first but then quickly went back to drinking from their mugs.

Note to self: Practice controlling her ghost powers.

"You must have a thing for popping up at the most inconvenient of times," the dark haired man finally said, looking towards her.

She didn't reply but turned to Stefan to address him instead, "Good morning."

"Morning," he grinned to her as he poured himself another cup of heated blood.

Dead or alive, that will forever make her stomach turn in on itself.

"What are your plans today, Kiki? Haunting the people you hate the most? Stalking the guy you had the biggest crush on when you was alive? School?"

Bonnie shrugged, humoring him, "I would haunt you, but seeing as your entire being makes me want to posses someone just so I can gauge my eyes out, that doesn't seem all that appealing."

"For a self-righteous, goody-two-shoes witch, you sure are dark."

"I've put an Original Vampire in comatose—and almost killed him. It wasn't all that life altering."

Damon was quiet for a moment as he looked at her, eyebrows furrowing in disbelief, "You?"

"Yeah. Me."

"But you're tiny."

"The smallest ones tend to always bring the bigger ones down with ease."

"Now, now, Judgey. Wouldn't want you belie—"

"—Believing in my own witches' brew. Right. But I took you down without raising a finger or looking in your general direction. You're not so big and bad as you like to think yourself to be Damon."

He fell silent again, looking at her with a newfound curiosity and Bonnie felt self-conscious all over again. How could she forget Damon's overbearing gaze? She held it anyway, challenging him as he smirked at her, shrugging his shoulders before finishing his drink.

She had the incredible urge to show him just how strong she was. It…kind of bothered her that he shrugged her off so easily anyway. Just like old times.

"Well," he stood to his feet, "I've got some charming to attend to with the town's mayor. You kids stay out of trouble for me."

And he was gone in a blur.

Stefan looked to Bonnie in question, "An original vampire?"

Confused for a moment, the teenager only looked at him in question.

"You and an Original Vampire?"

"…oh. Yeah."

He tilted his head to the side slightly, "I only heard so little about them…"

"Hopefully…it stays that way."

Stefan's eyes encouraged her to go on but she didn't feel like it.

Taking the hint, Stefan finished his cup and stood to his feet as well, "I have school…you can come with if you like."

That was a good idea. Keep an eye on him; maybe sabotage him and Elena ever getting the chance to get together. But…she didn't have it in her. She couldn't bare going to that school and watching her friends be ignorant of her very existence. The very thought of it hurt her.

"No…that's ok. Thank you."

"You sure? Staying in this big house by yourself, another day, doesn't sound like an ideal peaceful afterlife thing to do."

"You'd be surprised."

Stefan nodded, not because he understood, but he knew not to press her. He waved his goodbye and a, "See you when I get home."

And that made her smile in gratitude.

* * *

Stefan was right.

Staying back by her lonesome wasn't ideal at all.

It leaves her having the entire day to think and thinking upsets her, reminding her of all the mistakes, and loses she had accumulated to that very point. She refused to sit around and mop about. Not for the third day in a row. It's time she did something reckless.

So she turned on the stereo in the living room and danced.

Okay. So it wasn't _that_ reckless but it did make her feel a whole lot better. Whilst turning on the stereo, she discovered a new ghost perk: she affects electronics. She can will the stereo to turn up or down without having to touch it.

And swinging her hips about made the lamps flicker, while pointing towards the kitchen made the microwave beep in protest.

She didn't know how long she was dancing but she didn't hear the front door opening and closing and she didn't hear footsteps coming towards her.

What she did hear was a low chuckle, making her whirl around in horror.

Electric, yet amused, blue eyes had caught her in something that was personal: dancing like her ghostly life depended on it. All the electronics cut off and a couple of things, like a pretty expensive vase, came crashing to the floor. Ah…she had made some objects float in her state of aloofness. Splendid.

Damon's amused facial expression quickly disappeared when the vase fell and he cringed at the crash soon after. He then cut his eyes at her, making her feel a lot smaller than she already was.

"Sorry!" She squeaked, hating herself for sounding like such a child, in front of him no less! "I'll—I'll make it up to you."

He raised an irritated brow before shaking his head, "You did already. I caught you in a state of vulnerability. The look on your face was priceless."

"But your vase—"

"Whatever, Bonnie," he silenced her, going to pour himself a glass of bourbon.

"But—"

"Drop it. You're good at that sort of thing _anyways _from what I just witnessed."

She frowned, but then her face twisted in disgust, "Leave it to you to make that into a double meaning."

He bounced his brows, "You sound like you've been a witness to this fact for quite some time. There's a lot more to you than you're letting on, and I'm going to find out one way or another. Or-we could cut to the chase and you tell me who you really are."

Bonnie forgot Damon wasn't a complete idiot when he wasn't pining after Elena. Especially now.

"Uh."

He took a sip of his drink, waiting for her to continue.

Talk about embarrassing. Having Damon walk in on her dancing, to her apologizing for breaking his vase, and then him having a feeling she wasn't telling them the full story of her being there. All in under five minutes.

He grumbled suddenly, "And she disappears with her tail in between her legs. Not surprised."

He was then thrown across the room against the wall. She couldn't have him get away with saying that now could she?

* * *

**A/N: I have no business making a new fanfiction story. Alas...Review anyway.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: You know what I had to do to produce this chapter? Watch the new season respectively-and I was angry but at least I have more to go off on now. Thanks for all the reviews and follows. I'm forever grateful. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD. Funny you would think so.**

* * *

**Ch. 2**

He could barely make out the witch's heartbeat.

This alarmed the eldest Salvatore at first, but he gave Bonnie a little more credit than just dropping dead out of nowhere right under their noses. Especially since she would always let him know if she were to do something that involved risking her life. Even on the day she attempted to reverse Elena's transitioning, he made sure to text her that she was in for a lot of disappointment and he wasn't going to be there for "moral support". She didn't reply of course.

He furrowed his brows, crossing his arms against his chest as he leaned against his car that he was taking the girls to Whitmore college for a visit. Babysitting is _loads_ of fun.

He could hear Elena sigh, as she looked through Bonnie's front door and took a couple of steps back to look up at her friend's house in question. She tried knocking again, "Bonnie? You're alright?"

The hint of worry in Elena's voice made Damon adjust his stance, ready to get the witch to hurry up if need be. They're really wasting his time. He told Judgy they were on the way. What could she be doing?

She couldn't be taking a nap? Could she?

Elena turned to Damon and shrugged her shoulders, exasperated. He really needs for her to hurry up and gain better control of her emotions. It's starting to grate his nerves.

"She won't answer."

"Yell."

Elena sighed again, turning and knocking harder on the door before ringing the doorbell, "Bonnie!"

Damon took out his cell phone in irritation, ready to call her, but then Bonnie's heart sputtered for a minute. Next thing he knew, he's right by Elena's side, banging on the door, "Judgy! Let us in!"

"Damon?"

Did Elena not realize that her best friend's heart is a lot quieter than normal? Right. Elena's still not used to the super hearing and other vampire perks. You can't hear people's heart when you're human. She's still not completely used to hearing people's breathing and heartbeats.

He knew Bonnie's heart.

He's witnessed her fake die and her nearly dying before. He knows the difference between a heathly, judgmental Bonnie Bennett, a scared Bonnie Bennett, and a dying Bonnie Bennett. He also knows the sound of a heart stopping.

And that's exactly what just happened.

"Here's a pop quiz for you 'Lena." Damon kicked open the door as he tried to march in, only to be reminded that that he couldn't; the cursed invisible barrier shoved him back outside.

"Damon, what, just tell me," Elena's voice cracked, looking up to the ceiling as if Bonnie stood right above them.

"Do you know what a heart sounds like?"

Elena looked at him, narrowing her eyes, in a pointed manner for him to "cut it out" with his "games".

That was a good enough answer.

"What's the one sound you can't hear right now?"

The brunette raised her head in realization, whirling to the barrier to run through.

She, too, was pushed back.

And Damon almost felt the earth drop from underneath his feet, "Wait. _You haven't been invited in yet?_"

Elena looked to him, not fully registering his accusation before shouting for Bonnie again.

"Elena. You, haven't, been, invited, in_, Bonnie's_, home, yet?"

"No! What are you trying to say Damon!" the newborn vampire snapped back at him, only to look off to the side, and pull her pin straight hair away from her face, "I didn't have time to visit Bonnie what with everything that's been going on!"

"_Unbelievable_." Damon punched at the barrier, just as soon as Bonnie's heart picked up again, only faintly.

"Bonnie! BONNIE!" Elena finally shouted, her emotions getting the best of her, tears rushing to her eyes and threatening to spill.

Damon stepped off the porch, away from Elena, trying to get a better listen in on Bonnie's heart. It was dangerously quiet; angering the vampire more at the situation they found themselves in. When was the last time Elena, Bonnie's supposed best friend, visited her? Was Stefan really the only one that's been back and forth to her home?

"Stefan." He took out his phone, trying to block out Elena's cries and banging on the invisible barrier that kept her from helping her friend.

"Oh my god. Not Bonnie. Please not Bonnie. Not again. It'll be all my fault. I should have visited after what happened—why—oh my god, oh my god."

"Elena. I'm going to need you to calm down," Damon hissed, hearing his brother pick up on the fourth ring.

"_Damon_-?"

"Don't." The brunette was in Damon's face, seething almost, looking a lot like Katherine than he would like to admit, "Don't tell me to calm down. That's _Bonnie_ in there, and I can't get to her because I'm a vampire and—"

"_What's wrong with Bonnie?_"

"Oh, _please_ Elena. All that time you spent crashing Rebekah's party and riding off somewhere with Stefan, and nearly draining Matt dry, you could have _easily_ visited your _best friend_ that's like a _sister_ to you so that you could be invited in, and we wouldn't have to ask Stefan to come and save her."

"…_What?"_

"Get over here Stefan. Fast." Damon hung up, turned to Elena, and was met with a hard slap to the face that had him on the ground. Right. Elena was strong enough to do that now. That's a thought to remember.

She looked ready to stake him before realizing what she did. She frowned, her lips fixing to apologize before shaking her head and turning from him altogether. _Ouch_.

"Don't sound like you care about Bonnie more than I do, Damon. You would gladly let her die. Remember?"

"You all need to realize I talk a bunch of shit. Don't take it so personally."

"And that's the problem Damon."

Oh here we go.

"Explain to me what this problem is because last time, the problem was me loving you—"

"Damon. Stop. Not right now."

He growled, standing on his feet to loom over her, "Then _when _Elena?"

Elena gave him a look that he absolutely hated. She was appalled, and bothered. Almost as though he was merely annoying her and she couldn't understand why he was so difficult. Unlike Stefan, who wasn't difficult at all. That gave her what she wanted decision wise no matter how stupid it was. Who gave her hope, something he wasn't comfortable with giving because he was more of the realistic type.

He couldn't win with this girl no matter how hard he tried.

The thought infuriated him along with the growing fact that Bonnie was two seconds away from being saved and there was nothing he could do about it because he couldn't get into her damn house.

"I can't believe you want to talk about _us_ when Bonnie's in there _dying,_ Damon. You're heartless."

He glowered at her. Because Elena was there to save her when Bonnie gave herself up as a blood bag for Alaric. Did everyone just _conveniently_ forget that he saved Bonnie's life not too long ago?

He thought this, but he didn't dare argue with Elena. He actually, for the first time in a while, wanted to be _very_ far away from her. Damon's been there for the witch more than Elena has lately, and she was still able to paint him as the insensitive one? Did she even thank Sabrina for that daywalker ring? What the hell?

Elena watched him under a skeptical gaze, before sighing and turning to walk back to Bonnie's porch. She sat up against the barrier, leaning her head against it as she listened to Bonnie's weak heart carefully, willing it to not stop again.

Damon leaned up against his car, glaring at the house and Elena.

* * *

"So?"

"So…?"

"What did you see when you found the witch?"

"Bonnie?"

"No, the wicked witch of the west. Of course Bonnie."

Stefan shook his head, more so with familiarity than annoyance at his older brother, "She was surrounded by candles and her grimoire was beside her."

"Saw what page it was on?"

"No. It was closed."

"Closed?"

"Yeah. Closed."

Damon made a face, leaning back in his seat to cross his arms against his chest. Elena had to talk to Sheriff Forbes that was fixing to call Bonnie's father. Now that should be interesting to witness.

When Stefan first came to the house, he went in and brought Bonnie out in under ten seconds. She looked incredibly…unlike Bonnie. The life and color in her face was gone, and no matter what they did they couldn't get her to wake up. Damon even went as far as shoving his bloody wrist in the witch's mouth but still, no reaction.

"What did you two talk about the day you went over to her house?"

Stefan put his magazine down on his lap to look at his brother in bemusement, "Why does that matter?"

"Just tell me."

"You sound like you care about Bon-."

"We need to keep Bonnie alive. Do realize we don't particularly have a long list of potential witches ready to help us out when shit hits the fan, _brother_."

"And we know who to blame for that one," Stefan went back to reading his magazine.

"Why are you acting so calm?"

"What do you mean?"

"We're in a hospital, Elena's emotionally unstable, Bonnie's out cold, and you're passing the time by reading a magazine."

"Bonnie's strong. I don't have much to worry about."

Damon grew quiet for a second before grunting, "And that's part of the issue. You all like to _think_ Bonnie is so strong, nothing can stop her but she's still pretty brand new to magic. Three years of witchcraft and wizardry is nothing compared to a witch who's had ten years at it."

"Are you saying Bonnie's weak?"

"I'm _saying_ Bonnie's not immortal and she still has her limits. But because you all tend to forget that she pushes herself to the brink of death, time and time again."

Stefan frowned, turning to the next page of his magazine.

The brothers sat in awkward silence. It was weird. Bonnie's never had to go to the hospital before due to her overexertion of magic. All she needed was rest. It was even weirder that Damon was still here to make sure the witch was okay. He tried leaving earlier but he didn't like that idea either. He convinced himself that he would be there when she woke up so that he could chastise her for, yet again, almost dying. She didn't need to know Stefan was the one that got her out of the house though. And she didn't need to know his previous words about her well-being either.

Elena walked back over to the two, rubbing her arms and looking as if she was ready to burst out crying any second. Stefan climbed to his feet, Damon kept where he was.

"You're alright?" Stefan asked her, letting her walk into his arms. She shook her head in the negative.

Damon rolled his eyes.

"It'll be okay. Bonnie always pulls through," Stefan started, grabbing Elena by the shoulder's to look her in the eyes that made both the men weak. Damon, however couldn't help but be glad he didn't have to look at her, and was only getting more irritated the more they talked about Bonnie.

"You're right," she let out a breath, "I just feel awful. Bonnie's trying so hard to help and…"

"What makes you so sure Bonnie was trying to help us?" Damon interrupted.

Elena's eyes cut at him. She was showing more and more sides of Katherine it would be amusing if it weren't at all unsettling, "Because I know Bonnie and she's my best friend."

"You have a funny way of showing it."

"_Damon_." Stefan warned, feeling Elena's rage seep through.

"What, Stefan? I'm only stating the obvious."

"You're terrible." Elena managed to let out.

"Don't need to tell me twice. Might as well add, 'selfish' in the mix as well."

Elena shook her head, throwing her hands up slightly before walking away altogether. She was no fun to argue with. Stefan also shook his head at his older brother before going after Elena. Damon thought they were just perfect for each other then. Both delusional. Both thinking they're mightier than thou—though the same could apply to Judgy but at least she could back it up.

He could hear Stefan and Elena talk. His brother was suggesting it better to still go to Whitmore just for the experience and to talk to the Professor Bonnie was talking to and Bonnie could go as soon as she woke up.

If. She woke up that is.

Stefan walked back to his brother, hands in his pockets, "Elena still wants to go to Whitmore with you—"

"I heard."

"—well, are you still going to take her?"

"How about you go, brother? Wouldn't want her to turn out more like me. The absolute worst thing in the world is to have another Damon Salvatore loose. And besides, you know I find college students a _beer-ful_ of fun." For good measure, Damon added a taunting smirk at his brother even though it was entirely half-assed. Really, he just didn't have it in him to deal with Elena right now. The entire duration of the trip will involve her feeling sorry for herself and feeling bad about Bonnie. And that alone was annoying enough.

"What are you going to do?"

"Watch after Sabrina. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she sees me once she wakes up from her magical faint attack."

"…you know. You try really hard not to show you care about Bonnie."

Damon made to retort but he caught Meredith walking right up to them with Elena trailing behind her anxiously.

"I've got some bad news."

Elena held an unnecessary breath, grabbing Stefan by the arm. Not looking at them, Damon kept his eyes on the doctor, waiting for her to continue.

"Bonnie's in a coma."

* * *

It's been a couple of days since the news of Bonnie's comatose.

The day when they first got the news, Elena refused to go to the college afterall. Instead she stayed by Bonnie's bedside, stroking the back of her friend's hand in hopes that she would miraculously wake up.

Stefan had to guide Elena away. The younger Salvatore wouldn't say it, but Damon knew they didn't want an incident where Elena grew hungry and decided that Bonnie's defenseless form was inviting enough for a bite.

Not that they had their doubts about Elena's self-control but—they were concerned.

Caroline came as soon as she got the news. She watched over Bonnie and her room like a hawk.

Jer came and went. Something about it was only a matter of time before fate took Bonnie as well. That actually, pissed Damon off when he heard that.

And Damon, he didn't leave his spot in the corner of Bonnie's room at all. He couldn't explain why he didn't want to leave her unattended but he didn't. Caroline wasn't strong enough to kick him out. Elena didn't feel like dealing with him altogether. Like sister, like brother as far as Jeremy goes and Stefan. Well. His younger sibling would bring him an extra pair of clothes without asking any questions. Damon could appreciate that.

"Third day in a row and you're still here."

"Forgetting I still have a deal to maintain with Emily?"

"I thought that deal broke."

"Habits die hard."

"Right."

The brothers were quiet, not sure what else to say. Stefan looked to Bonnie, "You won't like it but…I talked to Klaus."

"That's nice."

"He said he might be able to help."

Damon sneered, "You're right. I don't like it. You should know that Judgy wouldn't stand for that."

"He said he knows witches. He could bring one in to check on her."

"Don't bother. The last thing Bonnie would want is for her mortal enemy that was more than willing to kill Tyler in front of her to all of a sudden help her out."

"It's better than nothing."

"I say let her rest," Damon finally took to his feet, looking down at the still girl. She was small, frail, and _not Bonnie_. It bothered him.

It was starting to unnerve him when he thought of Bonnie staying like this forever until someone decided to pull the plug. What had she done? What was she trying to do that made her fall into a coma?

"She told me, when I visited her, that something bad happened to her Grams when she put Klaus back in his original body."

Damon furrowed his brows.

"And every time she did a spell she was brought back to when her Grams was tortured right in front of her."

The dark haired man licked his lips.

"She looked so exhausted when I visited her. She was almost like an empty shell."

Electric blue eyes watched her heart monitor. He hated this. What was up with this witch that made him doubt a lot of things he did and felt? Especially in an area he didn't want to admit that she tampered with unknowingly:

His feelings for Elena.

He hadn't spoke to her since they got the news and she didn't make an effort to start up conversation with him either. It wasn't as irritating as it would have been before then. He actually appreciated the gesture.

"Damon. You'll be alright?"

He looked to his younger brother with his classic, "What are you, stupid?" expression. Making it a point not to look towards Bonnie, he answered, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You and Bonnie always had a strained relationship but...you two, for the most part, were cordial."

Damon looked down at her, he couldn't help himself.

"It's okay to care about Bonnie. She's our friend after all."

Seething, Damon finally left the room, ignoring the urge to go back and watch over her.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in a different dimension..._

Bonnie found herself giggling.

She covered her face with her fingers because she couldn't trust herself to keep invisible _and_ witness Damon walk around his room, naked, and cursing her for the "little prank" she was pulling.

The prank? He couldn't find any of his clothes.

That's what he get for bursting into her room unexpectedly the other morning, naked, and taunting her as she shrieked at the sudden invasion and vanished in thin air, completely embarrassed by his nudity. But now, he was going to suffer the consequences.

"When you materialize into a viewable, _touchable_, solid again, witch, I promise I'll wring your neck," he threatened, marching about the room, feeling her draft.

She kept quiet, stifling her giggles.

"Fine. I'll just lie in your bed, in all my _naked, and disgusting glory_. Don't think I won't."

He then found all of his clothes folded neatly on his bed as he smirked to himself.

"I still find it hard to believe that our friendly neighborhood ghost sleeps in a bed," he mused, getting dressed, knowing she hadn't left the room yet. "I also don't think you pay this special attention to my younger brother either."

"Your younger brother doesn't pester me," Bonnie was sitting on his bed with crossed legs and arms, looking up at him with a raised brow.

"Like the show I just gave?" Damon asked instead, bouncing his brows at her.

She rolled her eyes, wrinkling her nose; "I covered my eyes the entire time. Wouldn't want my ghostly eyes bleeding."

"You're in such denial about your suppressed sexual desire for me. Admit it, Bon-Bon."

She gave him a flat expression.

Glaring at her, he continued, "By the way, Judgy. You have an affinity for breaking things that belong to me. How exactly are you going to pay me back again?"

"You wanted to know who I really am right?"

Raising his brows, he didn't hide his shock, "Is that so?"

He sat beside her to put on his boots. She didn't stir at their closeness, "I don't understand why you're asking me. You're the one who suspects I'm up to something."

"Can you blame me?"

She watched him, "I hear Stefan's been out with a new girl lately."

"Who? That girl that looks a _lot_ like our evil ex-girlfriend? What about her? Jealous?"

"No. She's my best friend. It was only a matter of time before they started dating."

"Eh. She looks like a watered down version of our _lovely_ Katherine, no offense."

"That didn't stop you from falling head over heels in love with her though."

Damon finished tying his boots, finally looking Bonnie in the eyes, "Mind elaborating on _how_ you know this or are you going to keep me in the dark?"

Bonnie opened her mouth then closed it, contemplating on whether or not this was the right time to come clean.

Damon then rolled his eyes, "Dark it is. While you excuse me, Sabrina, I have a 'date' to hurry off to."

Bonnie's face contorted into something he found humorous, "You too?"

"Look at me. 'It was only a matter of time'," he mimicked her from earlier while heading out of his room, "Don't wait up for me. You're in charge of the house. _Don't _set it on fire or whatever you witches do for fun when you're bored."

"Find spells to cook you alive in a big black pot?"

"I should warn you, I'm _scrumptious_."

Bonnie heard him leave off the grounds as she thought about who Damon was "dating" during the same time Stefan was dating Elena. Then her face mirrored that of horror when she realized it was Caroline.

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter will be just Bonnie, Past! !Damon and Stefan. Then after that chapter we see how Current!Damon and friends are doing. Yup. Hope yaw liked! Review! It pushes me when I can hear from you all!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: **I do not own TVD. Hm hm hmm.**

* * *

**Ch. 3**

Bonnie Bennett was float-pacing in their living room. She was biting the tip of her thumb with anxiety, rationalizing that Damon dated and toyed with a number of other girls before he met Caroline. Right?

Right?

But that didn't make the situation any better. It was bad no matter which point of view she saw it through.

Even if she was a bit more convinced that he wasn't tearing at Caroline's neck, she would hear a tiny voice in her head that made her double-guess herself. It would tell her that she was in a different world, another dimension. The brothers actually_ got along_ here.

There's no telling what else made this dimension its very own.

Hearing someone walk into the house through the front door, Bonnie vanished from the living room and stood a breath away from the youngest Salvatore. He seemed flushed despite him being un-dead. Probably due to a previous, unknown activity but he was a bit glad to see her anyway, "Bonnie-"

"Have you seen Damon?"

Stefan blinked, confused by the sudden question, "No?"

_I'm worried_, she thought out loud as she turned from him and began to float-pace again.

Stefan watched her, intrigued, "You're worried about Damon?"

"What? No! Damon is the last person I would ever worry about. I'm worried about his date."

"_He_ went out on a date?" the youngest Salvatore perked his brows and pursed his lips in an impressed manner.

"He doesn't normally go on dates?"

"No. Damon's not the dating type," Stefan maneuvered around her, walking to the living room and casually plopping onto their couch. It whined underneath his weight and Bonnie could imagine Damon giving his brother an earful about that. She ignore the tiny voice from earlier, telling her she was getting comfortable already.

She sat beside him, tucking her legs underneath her, "Oh. Well. How was your date with Elena?"

"Good," he grinned to her.

"How is...she?"

"She's really reserved and nice," Stefan answered, his grin still there.

"Completely different from...the ex, huh?"

"_Definitely_."

They sat in silence for a bit, Stefan content and Bonnie filling as if her stomach was doing somersaults. She broke the silence, looking at him with determined intent, "Stefan...could you make me a promise?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"Keep Elena safe for me?"

Stefan turned to her, bewildered, "Was Elena a close friend of yours?"

Bonnie bit her lip and nodded, "But don't ask about me."

Stefan searched her face and slowly nodded, "Promise."

"Thanks," She grinned before vanishing and reappearing in front of him, on her feet, "I gotta find Damon. I have to make sure he's not crossing the line."

The younger vampire looked at her, furrowing his brows, "What do you mean?"

"Killing his date, compelling her to let him make her his blood bag for the night while getting non-consensual sex out of her."

"How do you know his date is human?"

Bonnie almost tripped over her next words, "I'm a witch."

Stefan then nodded, accepting that as he leaned back in his seat, "Alright. But remember Bonnie, we're vampires. Drinking from the vein actually is a lot better for us than from a bag or an animal."

Bonnie stared at him, shocked, "What?"

The calmer vampire only looked up at her in question.

She then kept her mouth shut and nodded meekly, _Never mind_.

Disappearing but leaving a cold draft, Stefan sat up straighter with a frown. What was that about?

* * *

Bonnie materialized inside of The Grill, looking for a bubbly blond and a dark clad figure looming over her. Instead she heard short gasps and sounds of intimacy that made her narrow her eyes in focus and teleport from the public dining space of the restaurant into the men's bathroom. She saw them then, making out, with Caroline on top of the counter and Damon in the crook of her neck.

Heart pulsing where it used to be, Bonnie marched up to the two ready to give Damon a migraine if need be, "Damon!"

They then disappeared, the lights flickered slightly overhead, and the witch was left a bit confused. She heard a toilet flush behind her as a teenaged boy with short-cropped hair to the scalp came out of a stall. He rubbed his arms despite being in a hoodie. He then huffed out air to visibly see it.

"The hell? When'd it get so cold?" he mused, shaking his head.

Bonnie gave him an apologetic expression before thinking about both Damon and Care. She guessed that what just transpired was her seeing a piece of what happened previously. Almost like an imprint left to the setting. How she did it was beyond her and she figured it had a lot to do with her being a ghost. Now that she knew it _was_ Caroline that Damon went to see, she had to hurry and find them.

Closing her eyes and thinking of them in detail, she felt that she wasn't indoors anymore and proceeded to open her eyes with caution. She was outside Caroline's house, floating before a window.

"They went back to Care's place? Why would-" she started before turning back to the window and seeing the two in bed. She gaped and then mentally smacked herself in the head. Why _else _would they go to Caroline's house? For a cup of tea?

However, they were asleep and Bonnie felt like her mini-rescue mission was all for naught. Then she felt like a total creeper and sat up against the wall underneath the window. She might as well just head back home.

Home.

She stared off into space and chuckled darkly to herself. Her "home" was the same home in which the Salvatore's also lived. What a turn of events. She really was becoming attached.

Even though Bonnie wanted to go back to the boarding house, something told her otherwise. After all, just because they're sleeping together in peace did not mean it was a scene to trust. This was Damon after all.

Time must fast-forward in the body of a ghost because the next thing she knew she was standing beside the dresser watching a terrified Caroline tip-toe towards her. She seemed to be trying get her cell phone, holding a bundle of her clothes from last night. The morning's sunrays seeped through the window Bonnie sat under last night and lit the room, making it feel cozy. Caroline, however, was in everything but, trying her damndest not to make a sound to wake the predator in her bed.

Bonnie's heart lurched for her, wanting to shield her friend from Damon, and wanting more than anything to set him on fire. She saw the bite marks on Caroline's neck and realized they were clean and precise. He was a pro at this.

Tears brimming at the edge of the blonde's eyes, Caroline made it to the dresser and picked up her cellular device. She watched to make sure Damon was still asleep in her vanity mirror once she did. All she saw was a bundle of sheets, covering him though.

Bonnie was next to Damon in a second, anger rising from every pore on her body as she glared daggers at him. Normally, she's not for physical pain. She always tries to be just as effective with her arguments. Her words. Her logic. But she actually wanted to punch him. The thought of it made it feel as though it would still get her point across nicely.

After looking down at him for a moment, she faltered in her anger. The morning's sunrays gracing his features as he slept peacefully made him look like a boy. Tussled hair about his face, sheets tangled about his body, and the labored breaths of sleep he gave were nothing more than habit, confusing Bonnie.

He was supposed to look like a detestable, ugly, monster, not someone she wanted to cuddle up next to.

_Oh my goodness, she _thought, gasping._ Did I really just t__**hink**__ that? Especially about Damon!_

Caroline yelped when she stepped on something and Bonnie turned to her instantly. In a blink of an eye, Damon was blocking Caroline's exit.

"The walk of shame in your own house is _a bit_ ridiculous don't you think?" he said huskily.

Caroline shrieked and grabbed the lamp from her dresser, hitting him squarely across the face.

That was cringe-worthy, even Bonnie had to wince. Then, to her horror, Damon slowly looked back at Caroline with unadulterated anger that his eyes turned into what she recognized him to be. It was what she remembered so clearly when he attacked her in the woods so long ago.

"Damon! **Don't**!"

His eyes immediately went back to their stunning sky blue, looking to Bonnie for the first time that morning. He was perplexed; not fully believing it was her standing before him and behind the petrified blond. He looked nothing more than a surprised and bewildered child.

"Don't, Damon," Bonnie repeated, firmly. There was a silent threat in her demand and Damon wasn't completely sure if he was in the right mindset to challenge her.

Caroline didn't waste any time in pushing past him to get away but he grabbed her by the arm, and jerked her back into the room to throw her on the bed. A "pop" sounded and she whimpered, grabbing her arm immediately. She made to get up again but the vampire loomed over her to stare with authoritative intent in his eyes, "Don't move."

Care nodded halfheartedly but the fear didn't leave her wide eyes.

Then Damon was in the ghost's face, seething, "I would ask why you're here interrupting my date but I'm _sure_ you wouldn't answer, so I'm just going to cut the crap and tell you to get, out."

"Was it a 'date' or a snack? Because it looks more of the latter to me," Bonnie challenged, not backing away from his imposing stance in her personal space.

"Is that any of your business who I feed from or who I fuck?" he snapped, clearly infuriated.

Bonnie's countenance twisted in disgust and anger, "Yes. Because Caroline's my best friend."

"Like Elena? You know, I'm going to have to challenge that because it seems to me that you're going to claim anyone that's a potential blood bag for yours truly is your damn best friend."

"I don't have to prove anything to you, _Damon_. Leave. Her. Alone."

His eyes grew feral as he moved to Caroline in vampire speed, grabbing her by the hair and jerking her head back to expose her neck for him. She screamed, tears finally falling down her cheeks.

Bonnie watched in terror, realizing that her being here might have made matters worst and that this Damon didn't have any problem of either sinking his teeth in her friend's neck or snapping it altogether just to spite her. It was like the Klaus being in Tyler's body fiasco all over again.

"_YOU OR TYLER, BONNIE."_

She took in an exasperated breath at this thought. And that alone angered her to the point of having her eyes moisten, feeling betrayed and out of her element. She knew Damon did terrible things but she hadn't actually _witnessed_ them be done in front of her like this. It was one thing to hear about it but it was a completely different thing to see it in person.

She raised her head at him regardless, and watched him let go of Caroline's hair and drop down to his knees. He then grabbed at his head, looking up at her in anguish but then witnessing her hateful tears fall. The look in her eyes was that of pure contempt towards his very being and it didn't help any that she was looking down at him for extra effect.

Needless to say he pissed his ghostly witchy roommate off and the pain she was inducing on him was a testimony to her rage.

"Bonnniieee," he grunted finally, gasping for air even though he knew that wouldn't ease the pain.

She didn't even falter.

"Stop Bonnie. I get it! Caroline is off-li-limits! Stop!"

She shook her head, vision blurring, making it hard to see Damon appropriately. Hurting him was necessary, she thought. He was going to hurt Caroline. There was no getting through to him like she normally would have done.

She wiped at her eyes, finally giving Damon enough time to quickly grab her by the shoulders. She screamed, covering her neck to protect it from his angry fangs.

They stood like that for a long moment, Damon looking at her astonished, confused at the gesture, and irritated though cautious of not pissing her off again and Bonnie clearly upset. She finished wiping her face in frustration, realizing he wasn't going to attack her after all. Then she felt even more ridiculous when she realized he couldn't if he wanted to. She was already dead. She kept forgetting that.

"Bonnie..."

"I hate you."

And then she vanished.

* * *

Damon didn't have it in him to take any more blood from the stupid girl that sat obediently on her bed and instead compelled her to forget the entire thing. He even gave her a drink of his blood to heal her dislocated shoulder.

In regards to forgetting the entire incident, vampires and ghosts must not be on the top of anyone's list to experience first thing in the morning.

Him giving her some of his blood though? Blame the wicked witch of the west.

He put on his clothes, hopped in his car, and headed home, silently fuming at what took place back there.

The ghost hated him.

Which shouldn't bother him one iota but it did. Immensely. And it frustrated him that it did so much.

_"I hate you."_

It wasn't even one of those kinds of testaments that a normal teenager would scream towards their parents in the heat of the moment either. Bonnie really _meant_ what she said. Then again, when had she not?

But really, that damned witch _hated him_.

Pulling up in his driveway, he got out of his car, slammed the door shut, and marched to his front door. His brother, however, opened it before Damon could punch right through it instead.

"Brother," Damon greeted snidely.

Stefan raised a brow, "Bonnie came home pretty shook up."

"And you think _I_ had something to do with it," Damon replied flatly. He did have something to do with it but the last thing he needed was to be lectured by his younger brother. Again.

"Well...yeah. Last night she went out looking for you and she comes back upset. I just put two-and-two together."

Damon waited for him to move out the way, purposely not engaging in this conversation. Stefan sighed, understanding and following through with his brother's silent request as the older Salvatore went to the living room to his alcohol dresser to pour himself a drink.

"You look pretty upset too," Stefan mused.

"Good job Stefan. I owe you a gold star for being _so_ observant," the older Salvatore replied with empty mirth.

Stefan shrugged, deciding it best not to continue with trying to figure out what happened between the two. Especially if he had to put up with his brother's terrible attitude.

"She said she hated me," Damon finally confessed, glaring angrily at their dead fireplace.

"Oh."

"All because I was about to tear at her stupid 'best friend's' neck."

"That would naturally make someone hate you."

"You're not helping," Damon took another swig of his drink.

"Well...you could always apologize."

"No. I don't do apologies."

"Then you're just going to have to deal with a ghost-witch that openly hates you who so happens to live under the same roof as you."

"Joy."

Stefan crossed his arms against his chest with an amused grin, "This is really bothering you."

"Shut up," Damon retorted lamely.

Stefan, to Damon's displeasure, caught that, "So much that you couldn't give me a better comeback."

"I'm going to drive a tree branch in your gut."

Stefan's grin didn't falter as Bonnie popped up beside him, refusing to look towards Damon, "Ok. I'll go to school with you."

Just when the older vampire needed another jab at his pride.

Stefan turned to her, "Great! Shall we?" he held out his arm for her to take, which she did. Ok, now Stefan was just rubbing it in Damon's face.

"See you after school Damon," Stefan called back jovially, or as cheerful as Stefan could get. Damon grunted and poured himself another glass of alcohol. As soon as the two left, he ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

He couldn't afford to have the witch hate him. Someone that powerful, he reasoned, despising him is a no go. They should be his ally at least.

He wasn't going to apologize but he _could_ try at a truce.

* * *

Bonnie stood against her old locker, watching both of her best friends chat it up as if Caroline hadn't almost been drained dry that morning. She covered the bite marks with a scarf and the ghost felt her stomach drop.

"Enough about me and Stefan. How'd your date go?" Elena said with a small smile.

Caroline's eyes grew wide in fear but Bonnie had a feeling that her friend didn't understand why. Instead, the blond shook her head, "It didn't work out. Anyways! I'm a little jealous that you actually got a taste of the new guy. Lucky you. Why can't guys like him be interested in girls like me?"

Bonnie pushed herself off the lockers. She regretted leaving Caroline and Damon behind when she told him she hated him. But that entire situation was just too much for her to take in. It was as if the Damon she always hated came back with a heavier vengeance. Thinking about how he might have possibly looked when he turned her mother, how he looked when he snapped Jeremy's neck. And how he forced himself on Elena time and time again despite Stefan always saving his ass was like shaking a bottle of soda and opening it right after. Though she knew Damon deserved to hear her say that to him, she couldn't help but still feel dissatisfied.

Her Damon, back in her dimension, needed to hear it too.

Then again…now that she thought about it—it _would_ seem like a lie if she did. Being here made her feel as though she took fifty steps back on her personal growth and "relationship" with the Older Salvatore. She didn't like it but…she supposed she'd have to deal with it. Consider it apart of her consequence for being in another dimension.

Looking to her friends before she departed for the day, she went off to leave the school premises.

Making it outside, she found the devil himself leaning against his car, waiting, with crossed arms against his chest. He wore a charcoal grey t-shirt, and black jeans with black boots; his normal attire. Bonnie, however, still had on her turquoise, long sleeved shirt, black skinny jeans, and her charcoal-gray ankle boots; her dead attire she was cursed to wear for eternity. He straightened up when he saw her and Bonnie sighed internally.

She descended down the steps, and walked right past him, treating him no better than a wall.

He fell in step beside her, "That was rude Judgy-"

"If you're not here to apologize, which I heard you say you don't do earlier this morning, then we have nothing to talk about."

"Why should I apologize for being what I am, _Bonnie_? I'm a vampire, if you've already forgotten. Vampires _eat_ people."

She didn't reply, and continued on walking.

Damon grabbed her wrist once he saw that she was starting to disappear from the bottom-up. That was one thing he couldn't stand about her; her epic disappearing acts of getting out of conversations.

Bonnie whirled to him, fuming, "Let. Go. Of. Me."

He did. She was completely solid again, which was what he wanted.

"We need to talk."

"And I said we have nothing to talk about if you're not going to apologize."

"I get it. You're incredibly loyal and that's a _very_ winning attribute of yours but like _I_ said, I'm a vampire. I. Eat. People. I won't apologize for that."

"I'm aware but I'm not asking you to apologize for being a man-eating monster. I know you didn't ask for that. I want an apology for you hurting Caroline than what was necessary. And despite my telling you to leave her alone you tried to attack her again anyway _just_ to spite me."

Damon opened his mouth to refute that but then closed it.

The witch looked up at him, searching his face before turning to walk away from him again, "Not surprised. You're such a child."

He followed behind her, deciding to let that insult go with a tick of his jaw, "What about a truce instead?"

Bonnie laughed humorlessly, "Like I haven't heard _that_ one before."

"I asked about you to Caroline on our 'date'," he tried.

Bonnie stopped abruptly.

"She's never heard of you."

"What made you-"

"You're around the same age as her. You're still haunting this town. I figured that she might know of your death."

Bonnie turned to him, face mirroring that of conflicting feelings.

"But nope. Nothing." He walked about her now, analyzing her, "I looked in police files for you. Still nothing. Town records, zip. It's like you _never existed_."

He saw her eyes burn with that same hatred she gave him in Caroline's room but he continued, this time looming over her, "So _forgive_ me for thinking your friendship with Caroline was bullshit and you just didn't want me to feed. You witches tend to do that _quite_ often."

Bonnie stared at him, eyes narrowing. She then crossed her arms against her chest, waiting for him to continue, knowing he wasn't finished. He half-expected her to vanish in the heat of the moment but alas, here she stood with such defiance.

"I'm giving you an ultimatum, Bonnie-if that's even your name-who are you really? And why are you here if you never existed in Mystic Falls to begin with?"

Bonnie raised her chin at him, still displaying that mightier than thou attitude that grated his nerves, "I'm a Bennett witch. And this _is_ my hometown, just not my dimension. Happy Damon? Hope this information serves use to you now that you know."

His face grew dark, making her a bit nervous but she reminded herself that there was nothing Damon could do to hurt her here. He then frowned, shaking his head in disbelief, stepping away from her, "A...Bennett? You sure?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

He began to rack through his brain, "I would have...I would have known who you were if you're a Bennett."

"And why's that?"

"Emily told me to protect her lineage as payback to make sure Katherine was safe-in-well. That doesn't matter anymore since Katherine never needed protection. She has always been out and about doing whatever the hell she wanted," he mused, not looking at her.

Ok. This was...weird. Damon purposely not looking at her, muttering to himself, and seeming so unsure. What was up with him?

"Emily? _My_ ancestor...told _you_ to watch over _our _line?"

"Don't sound too ecstatic about it."

Does this also apply for her Damon back in her dimension?

_"Believe it or not, Bonnie, I want to protect you."_

She shuddered. That held a lot more meaning than she would like to admit, "So what happened to me? Do you know?"

"You never existed. Remember?"

"What about my Grams? Abby? Lucy?"

He looked at her, appearing slightly shocked that she even knew who they were, "I'm guessing 'Grams' is Sheila Bennett?"

"Yes! Are they alright?"

Damon didn't answer, and Bonnie felt a sense of foreboding.

"What happened?"

"Magic with you witches always has to deal with consequences and the 'balance of nature' right?"

Bonnie nodded, now getting closer to him.

"Since you're here, even if you're from another dimension, you still affected our dimension-I guess. I remember Abby being pregnant at one point and then miscarried because she used too much magic and overexerted herself-Probably to protect someone else."

Bonnie immediately thought of Elena and her biological mother. But that couldn't be it? Could it?

Damon searched her face, thinking out loud, "Unless..."

"I was that baby?"

Damon kept quiet.

She stepped away from him, biting her bottom lip and hugging herself to stop the emotions from overriding her soul-literally. The last thing she needed was to cry in front of Damon again. Why was she so emotional here? She could keep it to herself back in her dimension but here it seemed as though she had no control of her feelings. It frustrated her.

"What about my Grams?"

"She...used to live here. Taught at the local college."

"What happened to her?"

"Alcohol poisoning."

Bonnie's vision of Damon blurred, yet again, as she chuckled humorlessly, "I was the one that would always watch over her and made sure she didn't go overboard with the alcohol and yet-even in a different dimension-I still killed my Grams."

The thought crushed her as her hand shot up to cover her mouth as she imagined her grandmother in front of her. The dark magic engulfed Grams' spirit, torturing her all over again even though Bonnie was not using magic this time. Then she could remember being at her Grams' bedside, crying out to no one in particular that she could fix it, she could bring her Grams back.

She covered her eyes, willing them to not let the tears fall, not in front of the man she said, not even two hours ago, that she hated him.

"I'm sorry Bonnie."

She looked up at him with wild eyes before choking out incredulously, "What?"

"I'm sorry," Damon repeated, hands in his pockets as he looked down.

"Oh my god, don't."

He looked up at that, confused, "...Huh?"

"Don't...don't do that."

"Do..._what_?"

"Apologize!"

"What the hell? You tell me to apologize and when I don't you get mad and snippy. Then when I _do_ apologize you're _still_ mad and snippy?"

Her eyes betrayed her in the end, "Because that's not the Damon I know! You don't apologize! You've never felt sympathy for me! _Ever_. You're a complete and total cocky asshole! You're selfish, manipulative, disgusting-"

"Ok! Ok! I get it!"

"I know _that_ Damon. I know how to handle _that _one. Not...not this one," she murmured feeling defeated. "You and the Damon I know in my dimension are the exact same-but don't-I never, ever, witnessed either of you apologize sincerely and look like you actually cared."

Damon furrowed his brows, "If me and this other Damon are exactly alike...and you seem to know us _so_ well...shouldn't you know that we're not the type to openly admit that we really care about someone?"

"Unless it's Elena."

He rolled his eyes. "I learned that wearing my heart on my sleeve for the woman I 'loved' only made it easier for her to use and hurt me. I'll be damned if I fall for that again...especially for a girl that looks _exactly like her_. Don't tell Stefan, but I'm not exactly thrilled that my brother is dating her. Bad idea."

Bonnie stepped away from him. This was uncharted waters for her. This Damon was throwing her in more loops than a roller-coaster ride.

He raised an eyebrow at her, "Plus, don't get your panties in a bunch. I'm not apologizing about Caroline. I'm sorry about Sheila and you never getting the chance to live here."

"You almost had me. You almost convinced me you were a semi-decent person."

He shrugged, smirking, "You haven't disappeared from me yet so that's progress. You're going to learn, Bennett, there's a lot more about me you _don't_ know."

She shook her head, disappearing finally, "You're a jack ass."

"I _know_," he dragged out into the air, knowing she heard that.

* * *

**A/N:** But he DID apologize about the Caroline thing. In his classic, Damon-y way.

So I wrote this WAY before I saw this week's episode online (15 pages on a mobile device though? Word?). Talk about Bonnie being able to get Damon to be that raw and provide a serious POV of why he is the way he is. Let alone him explaining himself to her where if it were anyone else he would blow them off.

Including Elena. Actually…we saw that happen when she didn't feed on the blond girl earlier that day.

Plus...did he not confess to Bonnie that he did feel guilty for feeding on people some time ago? Woah. This is serious.

As for that shoulder bump? Eh. He did the same, exact thing to Stefan in the 4x05 clip. Immature ass man-child that treats the folk that know him best and he cares for like he doesn't know any better.

Next chapter, we're checking up on Present Day/Dimension Damon. Reviews motivate me~

_Ungh...I need an appropriate cover for this fic besides my avatar._


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Claiming I own TVD...would be a disservice to the CW network. Or...something like that.**

* * *

**Ch. 4**

Damon was in much need of a distraction. His attachment to the bedridden witch was confusing and frustrating to say the least. He didn't like that she was in this coma, nor did he like the thought of leaving her alone for long amounts of time.

But he didn't like not understanding how he felt for her more than all those things combined.

Each day Damon would sit closer to the girl in the hospital bed. It has been a week and now he was only a couple feet away from her. He wondered how bad he'd get it from Bonnie if he just went on ahead and turned her. Elena didn't want to be a vampire? _Pfft_. He was sure she would have changed her mind about that one sooner or later. Bonnie though? Damon wasn't particularly sure. He wouldn't be surprised if she chose death over transitioning. Why would the witch want to become the very thing her nature despised and called an abomination?

He wondered what made Abby decide to turn though. Then again...he never cared for absentee parents so that thought stopped as soon as it came. Speaking of absentee parents, he steered clear from Bonnie's father. He didn't want to see him and he definitely didn't want to meet him.

"Any particular reason why you're still here, Damon?" Caroline questioned, not keeping the hint of distaste to herself. She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, glaring with suspicion at the oldest Salvatore.

"Jealous I wasn't a frequent visitor when you were in the hospital?" Damon quipped, eyes on Bonnie.

"If I could do it all over again, I would still want Katherine to visit me instead of you."

"Oh Barbie. So simple-minded you are."

"Get. Out. Damon."

"If Bonnie wants me to leave then I will."

"She can't you moron!"

"_Exactly_. And besides, with everyone's track record in keeping Bonnie safe, I'm still the better suitor. You're just gonna have to deal Blondie."

Caroline huffed, looking to Bonnie with longing and guilt. Care went over to her, having no problem grabbing her limp hand to squeeze it.

Damon watched, interested.

"You're being creepy Damon," Caroline grunted, glaring towards him. She couldn't be intimidating even if she had face surgery to look remotely like someone who can do it easily. Maybe one of Tyler's old wolf-mutts. He hated the bastards, still, but he can give credit where it's due-since they're dead.

"And you hunt Happy Tree Friends with my brother every once in a while. Your point?"

Caroline rolled her eyes, letting go of her friend's hand.

"Have you been invited into Judgy's house yet?" He asked after a beat.

"Uh. Since...forever?"

"When was the last time you visited?"

"Why do you care?"

Damon shrugged. That was the most accurate response for anything dealing with him and the witch as of late.

Caroline searched his face intently, tilting her head to the side before a ghost of a smile appeared on her face, "Does Damon feel bad for not being there for Bonnie when she needed it most?"

He felt himself tense up.

"OMG...does Damon actually give a damn for someone that isn't Elena?"

He glared at her.

"...Does Damon..._care_?" Caroline finally exclaimed, enjoying this. She then crossed her arms against her chest and giggled. He suddenly felt like throwing her out of Bonnie's window.

"I can't believe you _still_ haven't given me a comeback yet. Damon. This is _so_ unlike you."

He sneered, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms against his chest. She was right though. And he must really be losing his "Damon flare" if Barbie is right about him on _anything_.

"And you're still silent! Is Bonnie your secret soft spot or something because this is totally news to me?"

Well. That's one way of putting it.

"Elena hasn't been invited into Bonnie's house yet," Damon decided to get back to the previous subject.

And she took the bait, fortunately.

Caroline's eyes widened slightly before looking back down at the witch, "Oh. I'm not surprised."

"Is that so?"

Caroline shrugged with indifference, "Elena's still trying to get used to all this vampire stuff."

Something told the older male vampire that Caroline didn't mean that at all. It was like she said that because she had to, not because she wanted to.

"You're lying, Barbie."

"Bonnie's used to not seeing much of Elena...or anyone unless they need something. And you know, I wish she had more of a backbone to tell us how she really felt."

"She has no problem telling me," Damon challenged.

Caroline shrugged again like he didn't count, "Even with you she still holds back a little."

He noticed but he wasn't going to let Caroline know that.

"I just...I wish I was there-maybe she wouldn't be here..." Caroline murmured to herself, not looking away from her friend.

Damon kept quiet.

"We don't deserve Bonnie as a friend," she continued, running an anxious hand through her hair. "And I missed Bonnie, my best friend. She's more than just a witch."

Damon looked out the window.

Sniffling, Blondie straightened up, readjusted her purse, and wiped at her eyes, "You two used to hate each other and now look at you. When was the last time you even left the room?"

"I never hated the witch." He decided to ignore the question.

Caroline quirked a brow but didn't challenge it.

"She could be infuriating at times but I never hated her," Damon looked back towards the girl in the bed. She looked the most peaceful there. He was so used to her being serious _all_ the time. The dimple above her right eyebrow she got when she seemed not only annoyed but also focused on something. Or the way she walked with the weight of the world on her shoulders but still looked powerful anyway. And then her willingness to die for her ungrateful lot of friends.

It was ok to think this because he never deluded himself in thinking that Bonnie saw him as much of a friend as she did Elena, Caroline, Matt, or Tyler even. Maybe she did. After all, he did save her life and if the past were any indication, if you saved Bonnie's life, she was more willing to like you. Or consider you an ally—or friend. But he wasn't particularly sure.

So nah, he wouldn't call her a friend.

There were moments where she did show a friendly side to him though. Rarely. Her looking prideful in obtaining a new phone that tracked the whereabouts of her friends was a moment that seemed like they were closer than they were known to be.

_"The hell we need you for then?"_

He was only joking. If there was one thing he liked about Bonnie, it was her being able to take his jackass snide comments in stride or have a comeback ready for him right away. She wasn't a bore to argue with at all.

"I hope...she can overcome this," Caroline mused, grabbing on her purse as she looked back at her best friend.

He didn't like the possibility of Bonnie _not_ being able to. Sure he was a lot less hopeful on a lot of things that Stefan would be his opposite in. But he had to agree with his younger brother on this one. Bonnie wasn't immortal. But she was stronger than a damn coma. She played dead once. She even walked on the other side to try and bring Elena back. And now, here she was bedridden until further notice.

How could she be so powerful for everyone else but when it came to herself...she fell so short?

Did she really not value her own life like she did her friends? Was she really _that_ selfless and loyal? The thought, for some reason, irritated him.

When she woke up, and she better, he was going to tell her she needed to be a little more selfish and a lot less loyal. It hasn't gotten her anywhere. Another thing he could appreciate about Bonnie and his "relationship", they never held back on what they thought of the other.

Hm.

Some people considered that a friendship worth having but he knew better. Or at least he thought he did when it concerned her.

"I'm leaving. Having Klaus babysitting Tyler is frustrating. Did you know Tyler's allowed to leave the house but he has a curfew?" Caroline said, sounding as if she still couldn't believe it herself.

"No. And surprisingly, I don't think I care," Damon replied sarcastically.

Caroline pouted, "I guess you only do if it has anything to do with Stefan, Elena…or Bonnie."

He grimaced and he heard Caroline chuckle despite it. Standing finally, he glared down at her before leaving the room.

He still needed that distraction because now he was more frustrated about his feelings than he liked to be. And having _Caroline_ tease him on it was the last straw.

* * *

Damon went to the local college for his "distraction". He strolled into the cafe area on the premises, hoping to find someone that would better fit as the distraction.

His eyes zeroed in on a girl sitting alone at a table. She was a little older than the girls he chose to babysit back at home and perhaps more mature. Pulling her thick, dark brown hair from her face, she turned a page from her textbook and wrote some notes down. Her notes littered the entire table but she managed to somehow find room to put her 6-pack of RedBull on it.

She sipped out of one can, sighed, and continued reading. Her brows furrowed, similar to that of the witch's, and her dark brown eyes clouded over as she turned to another page, "I'm going to fail."

Damon was nowhere near her but he decided, right then, she was his target.

He made it to her table in long strides, pulling a chair up to her as she tensed at the sudden intrusion of her studying, "Hello-"

"I'm busy."

She's perfect.

"I see."

"Then you should probably leave."

"But I figured you needed company. You _are_ sitting alone after all. No lady should want to be alone."

"Unless she's studying. Like I'm doing. And I purposely made sure to get rid of the extra seats at my table so guys like you won't bother ladies like me. Yet, you're still here."

Was this girl related to Bonnie? She ought to be.

"That's not nice," he remarked, unfazed by her attitude.

"And what makes you think you're guaranteed niceness?" The girl finally looked up at him, not hiding her annoyance.

"I just wanted to chitchat with you."

She quirked a perfectly shaped eyebrow, "And my nose being in my textbook was me asking to be bothered into conversation?"

"What do you call this?"

She glared before sitting up straight, "Alright. I'll bite. What do you want?"

Like the Bennett, she demanded honesty and he supposed he owed her that much, "A distraction."

Her face twisted into disgust, "You came to the wrong table."

Bouncing his brows, he leaned over the table to better look into her eyes, "Not that kind of distraction."

She leaned away from him, something Bonnie would _never_ do, "What sort of distraction and will it take up a short amount of time so that you can back off and leave me alone?"

"You must be single."

She gaped.

Something else the witch would never do.

Damon leaned closer, captivating her eyes, "You're going to sit and listen. You won't leave until I tell you to."

She blinked, not looking away from him. Frowning, she swallowed and waited for him to start talking.

"I have a..." he broke off, realizing he didn't know what to call Bonnie exactly. Should he even talk about her? Isn't the point of finding a distraction was for him to be distracted from thinking about her?

"...friend?" the girl finished for him.

"She's in a coma right now."

She immediately looked concerned, "I'm sorry."

How can people apologize so easily for something they knew nothing about? He never quite understood it. Damon didn't like apologizing. He didn't do apologies. So the last thing he would ever do was apologize if he didn't have to.

"She likes to over exert herself for others. Especially for those that don't deserve it. It's really irritating because she hurts herself time and time again for the same people that haven't done anything for her yet."

"She seems very selfless."

"Well she's going to kill herself trying to save everybody."

"Has she...over exert herself for you?"

For someone under compulsion, she was quite talkative.

"No."

"Does that bother you?"

Maybe.

He didn't answer with that.

"Are you willing to do the same amount of overexertion for your friend?"

"She's not a friend," he corrected, cutting his eyes at her.

The girl went quiet, fidgeting in her seat.

"But I don't like the idea of her dying," he murmured to himself.

"So you care about her."

He noticed it wasn't a question but "No I don't. Her best friend that I'm in love with does."

She didn't buy it, "You just admitted to not liking the idea of her dying. That requires some sort of caring."

"_Careful Damon. I might start to think you actually care."_

"You're becoming the worst distraction I've ever picked."

She fidgeted some more, "It's ok to care about your friend."

"She's not my friend."

"What is she then?"

"_I don't know and it's pissing me off_," he snapped, exasperated.

The girl flinched but couldn't look away, even if she wanted to. She was becoming restless so he leaned closer to her over the table, "Calm down."

She did.

"_If you are so upset with me, why did you feed me your blood to save my life?"_

"_BECAUSE I DO STUPID THINGS BONNIE."_

"Why does it bother you so much that you care about her? What's wrong with the possibility of her being your friend?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"Well?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Pass."

"You two must not get along normally. So now that she's in a situation like this you're discovering feelings that you never bothered to explore before because you figured that since you two aren't that close it's not worth exploring. And now that you have no choice _but_ to notice these feelings, it bothers you because you love someone else."

"You must be a psychology major."

She nodded.

His luck.

"You don't love her. That's ok. But the more you deny caring about her, even if by a little, you're only going to get more irritated with yourself...and her."

He stared at psych girl, half-expectantly, and the other half disturbed.

"Because you're not sure she cares about you like you care about her."

He really did choose the worst distraction ever.

She searched his face and frowned, eyes revealing a sense of fear. Whatever she saw it was scaring her.

"Calm down. I wouldn't hurt you even if I wanted to."

"I remind you of her. Is that why?"

"At first. But now? Nah."

"You weren't looking for a distraction. You needed an explanation."

"Thank you Dr. Philecia. I _really_ appreciate it."

"...and you didn't like it."

"Keep talking and I'll rip your throat out."

Her face was that of horror as her heart started beating drums of panic in his ears. Bonnie would feel the fear but her face betrayed her emotions. Always. If she were sad, she would make it seem there was nothing for them to worry about. Maybe that's why no one, aside from Caroline maybe, would worry about her as often as they did Elena.

"Please don't," she began to plead, annoying him further.

Realizing this, she swallowed, "She wouldn't-she wouldn't like that."

He watched her, with irritated curiosity.

"Your frie-She wouldn't stand for it, would she? And though I-I probably don't act like her in your eyes anymore, you still chose me because I resembled her-somewhat-in appearance...am I right?"

He leaned back, crossing his arms.

"You-you hurt me you hurt a version of her."

Like Bonnie, she _did_ tell him how he was without sugar coating much.

"And you don't like that. Hurting her."

He winced.

She looked down, heart beating faster. Tempting him almost.

"Hey."

She looked up, captivated by his electrifying blue eyes again, "You can leave now, but I suggest you better hurry and put as _much_ distance between you and I, forget we ever had this conversation."

She shot out of her chair, gathering her things and dropping plenty of her loose-leaf papers that held her notes. Not looking back, she hurried off for the exit.

That distraction made things worst. So he went after a girl with chestnut colored hair and eyes, nearly draining her dry the next morning.

* * *

"Where have you been?

"Baby-sitting the witchy vegetable," Damon turned to his younger brother that looked displeased with what he just said. Whatever. When was Stefan _ever_ pleased?

"Well. Jeremy's been kidnapped. And there's some more hostages at the Grille."

"Oh."

"By Connor."

Damon rolled his eyes, "And let me guess, Elena's flipping a shit."

Stefan gave him, yet again, a look of disapproval.

"Ah. That's right. Elena and I are still not on good terms. Forgot to mention," Damon walked around him to the other side of Alaric's apartment room that stood not too far away from the Grille. He found his stash of alcohol and poured himself a drink. His brother didn't stop texting him about what was going on. Damon didn't feel like being bothered. But he's here now. Joy.

"Well, we've been trying to call you since early this morning to meet at Tyler's house."

"And? Got a plan made during my absence, brother?"

Stefan sighed, letting his hand show him a table of weapons and a map of some sort, "Yeah."

Just then Elena stepped in, crossed arms and apprehension written all over her face, "Apparently he's got Matt and April in there too. We have to go, Stefan…Damon."

"Perfect. More danger magnet idiots to be concerned with. Anything else new?" The older Salvatore spat, shaking his head and finishing his drink.

"Why are you in such a bad mood?" The brunette asked, already feeling her patience run thin.

"Well, because Elena, Bonnie's still in a coma and it's been a week, which is very _convenient_ right now—the plan Stefan? Hopefully you have one that's enough to give us an edge to not only killing the Hunter but also making sure Little Gilbert and the two other snot-nosed brats are out of harms way?"

Elena glared at him and shook her head, turning away to mutter to herself, "He should've stayed in Denver. To avoid all of this. That was the point wasn't it?"

"Don't worry. After this is all over, we'll just compel him again and send him down to the Bahamas. Find himself an island girl." Damon gave her a forced grin before turning back to Stefan. "Your plan?"

"I called Klaus to send in one of his hybrids. Got the tunnel maps and everything else while you were AWOL. They can take the front, you and I can take the tunnels."

"Since when did we team up with Klaus and the lollypop guild?"

"Connor has werewolf venom. We need someone that can draw his fire and is immune to it so they're our best bet," Stefan simply replied as if he was answering a simple, one digit, multiplication problem.

It was Damon's turn to make a face of disapproval, "How do you know that? And why is Klaus involved, Stefan? Sure, the witch is useless now but that doesn't mean you go out of your way to make besties with the guy we all equally hate."

The raven-haired man narrowed his eyes further in suspicion, "I hope you didn't give him the ok to mess with Bonnie. You'd be an even bigger dumb ass if you did that too."

Stefan turned from him, and back to the table of weapons, picking up something metallic before sighing in irritation, "Stop being paranoid Damon."

"Well, start telling me the truth, Stefan. Why is Klaus involved?" Damon had an even worst thought come to mind, "Did he compel you?"

The last thing he needed was for Stefan to be compelled by that man again. First Bonnie, now _this_?

"I _am_ telling you the truth Damon," Stefan turned back to him, now in his face, "You said Bonnie wouldn't like Klaus' help. I took your word for it. And that was the end of that. As for my plan, this is the best way to get everyone out—"

Elena stepped up, to interject herself into the argument physically, "What is with you two? We're wasting time."

Damon couldn't agree more. He leaves everyone alone for some hours, expecting things would be A-OK under his brother supervision but it seems he has to do shit his way just to get it done. No one could say he didn't try, "You know what, She's right."

He then turned to Stefan, "Screw your plan. I'll kill Connor myself."

Walking by him to do just that, he felt something stab him right in the back before darkness took him in and Elena's cry at Stefan was the last thing he heard.

And in what felt like nothing but a second he came to, trying to get a better handle of his limbs.

"Damon! Damon are you alright? Can you get up?"

Elena? That was Elena, wasn't it?

"Stefan…" he grunted, trying to fight whatever vervain was still left in his system. That fucking asshole, "Where's Stefan…? I'm…gonna kill him."

He brought his arm up to grab the back of the couch seat so he could sit up but he felt a searing hot pain on his hand, making him snatch it back from the sun rays.

"He took your ring off?" Elena asked aloud, incredulous. "Why would he do that?"

Damon hissed, rolling off the couch to the ground but making sure he stayed from the sun, "Because he's playing us. Getting hybrids, taking my ring, it all adds up."

He struggled getting up, but he didn't want Elena to help him, as he held up a hand to stop her. He finally got to his feet, heaving, giving hint that that alone was a chore before finishing his last statement, "He's either made a deal with Klaus or he's compelled."

Elena frowned, turning from him, "Then I need to get in there."

Dammit woman, "No Elena. This guy is dangerous."

"SO. AM. I. DAMON!" Elena shouted, swirling to him in anguish. Possibly from their last argument, or her finding out that Stefan's hiding and lying about things to them.

Damon stared at her, as she stared back, waiting.

"Then…you'll have to be smart. He doesn't know you're a vampire. You get as close as you can…and you kill him." He said between breaths.

She nodded before leaving him. Damon watched and could only think, what the hell was he thinking sending her to her death? At least with Bonnie there was a higher chance of her living and Connor being dead…not saying the witch would have killed the Hunter but at least Damon wouldn't be drugged with vervaine because of his damn brother.

* * *

He had to go through a boiler room and a septic tank just to get to these damn underground tunnels. And now he had his brother against one of the walls, a hand in his chest, ready to do whatever he had to do to get to Connor and kill him.

But he was pissed. He had Caroline teasing him last night, a psych major student critically analyze him, his brother keeping secrets, vervaining him, taking his ring, and then letting Connor go scot-free. Then there's still Klaus possibly sending some unknown witch to check on Bonnie when he's not there to make sure that doesn't happen.

Again, because of his stupid kid brother.

Glaring at him, he growled, "Spill it! SPILL. IT. Tell me why you're keeping Connor alive."

Stefan grunted, glaring to the side before glaring up at him, "Connor's tattoos are the key to a cure."

"For who?"

"For her. For Elena."

He grew silent for a second before asking with shock, "Klaus told you there's a cure for vampirism?"

"I know you're not for it but it's hope. It's Elena's hope. If we get it we can give Elena her life back."

Damon paused as he looked down at the hand in his brother's chest before he took it out, stepping away from him.

When you needed the witch most...

* * *

Damon watched silently in the background, seeing the epic love that was his brother and the girl he loved start to hit a huge rut.

He can remember daydreaming about this very moment one time ago. He could remember imagining how happy he would be to see his brother's relationship crumble at his feet.

Well, here he was…and he felt nothing.

He didn't feel like this was his perfect opportunity to "get the girl". It was the opposite actually. He wanted no part in this…

"You said I could trust you, Stefan," the doppelganger-turned-vampire nearly spat, the blood of the Hunter still around her lips as it trembled in anguish.

"Elena, it's complicated," Damon started, feeling a need to stick up for his sibling. Especially to her. She was still a newborn vampire, her emotions were still magnified, so she shouldn't give his brother a that much of a hard time. After all, he was doing this for her.

"NO, IT'S NOT COMPLICATED DAMON!" She snapped, hushing him, "And do you know why? He's dead now. You told me to kill him…so I did."

Damon's eyes looked down at the Hunter, frowning, and feeling a tinge of betrayal. Was she serious right now? He looked back up at her, ready to tell her what he truly thought of this entire situation when Stefan stopped him, shaking his head in the negative.

And Elena sobbed, finally wiping the blood from her chin, looking as though the world was coming to an end as she knew it.

* * *

Damon was back by the witch's side, sitting right beside her this time, watching the heart monitor with a mix of emotions he still couldn't name. He then turned to her still body, furrowing his brows, contemplating on whether or not he should say anything or not. He heard from Caroline that talking to people while they were in comatose helps them or something stupid like that.

The sound of someone's voice they knew would help guide them back to their physical body and wake them up.

It was idiotic but he agreed to chase the ends of the world for a vampire cure with his brother that might not even exist-so what the hell huh?

"We killed the Vampire Hunter today, witchy. Thanks to your lovely best friend." He brought a drink. Well. Snuck in a bottle. The witch will be fine with him being slightly inebriated. Not like he could get drunk effectively. Vampire healing could be a pain in the ass.

"She blamed me. Of course. Question. Did she use to blame you and Caroline when you were all caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar at age eight or something? Because this whole, 'blaming Damon' thing is getting _pretty_ old."

She didn't stir. Not that he was expecting her to or anything.

"You know…I kept thinking… 'what would Judgy do?' today. Seeing as you and I are the only ones in town with any kind of sense and only want to get shit done, I couldn't help but think, 'what if'."

After a silent moment he continued, "You probably would have agreed with Stefan…or be the mediator. Probably would have also prevented Elena from killing him. We kill the guy and we _still _failed. Just another day in Mystic Falls."

This was really stupid.

"What would you do now…? What were we going to do before you dropped into a coma?"

Another beat of silence.

"…visiting Whitmore for a Professor…" he furrowed his brows, staring harder at her face as if the answer was on it, "Guess I know what I'm doing tomorrow."

He pulled out his cellphone, calling a certain Little Gilbert, "Hey squirt. Wanna help me get the woman you lost back?"

* * *

A/N: That last episode was terrible, omg. Can't. But anyway. Reviews motivate me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TVD characters of L.J. Smith and the CW. That also stands for _Being Human UK. _No copyright infringement was intended.**

**Ch. 5**

Damon burst through Bonnie's bedroom door determined, with Stefan trailing right behind him. The younger Salvatore was bemused while Damon stood against the wall with crossed arms against his chest, keeping his glass of liquor from spilling. He watched Bonnie intently.

From their last interaction, the witch made it apparent in not engaging conversation of any sort with him. He found it annoying since, in his book of successes, getting the girl to talk about where she really came from was one of his biggest jackpots.

Then she reverted back to ignoring him. And everyone in the house ought to know how he couldn't stand that. So…he decided to take matters into his own hands and force this house intervention.

Stefan looked between ghost-witch and vampire with question in his apple green eyes after a long moment of tense silence, "_Ok_, Damon. What's this all about?"

"We need to establish some town rules since we're all roommates, brother. Don't want to step on toes involuntarily. You go first," Damon turned to his brother with expectation.

Stefan, however, was still confused, "What?"

"Why did you come barging in my room like you're the S.W.A.T. team Damon?" Bonnie spoke from her bed, her legs folded pretzel-style with a notebook in front of her. She had her hair pulled into a messy ponytail—revealing her neck and the definition of her face. The ghost was attractive; the elder Salvatore had to admit.

"Because you were avoiding me," He answered with a forced grin.

"Why is Stefan here? He seems confused."

"Because you're less likely to disappear if he's by my side too."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at him, giving him reason to believe he was right in using his brother to keep her visible.

"But we are seriously having a house intervention."

"Fine. You don't feed on any of my friends."

It was Damon's turn to narrow his eyes at her.

She shrugged nonchalantly, continuing, "Friends are off-limits."

The raven-haired man rolled his eyes, "Who are these 'friends' if you don't mind my asking?"

Bonnie searched his face before counting off on her hand slowly, "Elena, Caroline, Matt, Tyler, Jeremy-"

"The limit is three."

Bonnie glared at him, "You don't touch any of them. _Especially_ after what you did yesterday to Caroline."

"Remind me, Bonnie. I have a bad case of short-term-memory lose."

"You want a truce. Let that help your memory lose. Friends are off-limits."

"That's selfish. You might as well just make the entire town off-limits then," Damon challenged, making the witch sigh.

He had a point.

"You two are vampires. Both of you-apparently-prefer drinking from the vein. It's your nature. Who am I to oppose that? But since I-" she stopped mid-sentence, turning to Stefan, "Since I...am a witch. And...know...certain things about the future...You both suck in the whole keeping control of your blood lust kind of thing."

Damon raised an eyebrow at her hesitation when addressing his brother before smirking in realization, "_Ohhh_~ You didn't tell him."

Eyes the color of emerald that belonged to their witchy-ghost cut towards him in warning. Too bad the crow-like vampire didn't know how to take a hint.

"Tell me what?" Stefan looked between his brother and Bonnie, still as confused as he was coming into her room unannounced.

"Damon, don't-" Bonnie started.

"She's from another dimension in the future. Cool, huh? Who knew our witch was that powerful?"

Stefan's brows shot up to his hairline, impressed, before turning to her and crossing his arms against his chest, "_Really_ now?"

Bonnie frowned, "Look. I was going to tell you sooner or later-"

"Later," Damon corrected, "Or never. I had to pull teeth just for her to come clean with me."

Bonnie looked to him, pouting slightly, making the older Salvatore look back in suspicion.

"I mean Damon doesn't approve of Elena and yours budding relationship. It just didn't seem right of me to talk about my problems-"

"Low blow, _witch_."

Stefan turned to his brother, frowning, "You don't approve of Elena?"

He let out a heavy groan and sighed, "No, Brother. I don't. Blame history for that one."

The younger Salvatore furrowed his eyebrows, looking between Bonnie and Damon with equal disappointment. They both had kept pretty important things from him, "Is there anything _else_ you two aren't telling me?"

They frowned, falling into a tense silence.

"Well, you need to clean the dishes every once in a while instead of letting Damon and me do it all of the time," Bonnie finally said, looking back down at her notebook. She was writing spells she did remember, hoping that she might come across the one that got her into this dimension.

Damon snickered, distracting her and making her look back up at him. He grinned in agreement to her last statement before turning back to his brother, "And I know you're trying to give this _Disney_ critter diet a try but at least keep your kills outside, brother."

Stefan rolled his eyes. Bonnie had to admit, she wasn't used to this sort of interaction between the two let alone Stefan being _this_ animated. Not even around Elena. The closest would probably be Caroline but she decided to let those inquiring thoughts stop while they were ahead.

"You'll have me thinking that you're trying to impress me like when a pet cat brings dead presents to their owners," Damon continued, grinning deviously. He was clearly having fun with this taunting charade.

"Are you comparing me to a cat?" Stefan deadpanned.

"Of course. Why else would I make the reference?"

Bonnie giggled.

Stefan frowned, a bit embarrassed and only making Bonnie giggle more.

"Stefan, I'm sorry. I was going to tell you but it really is _my_ problem," Bonnie spoke again in a sincere tone, talking about her dimension swapping. That seemed more fun to call it. It might even be a clue to the spell she used. She wrote, "swap" down for future reference.

"That's why you're writing spells in your notebook? Making your own mini Grimoire, Judgy?" Damon asked, turning to her fully.

"Actually, I'm trying to jog my memory on the spell that brought me here in the first place."

"_Oh_~ Had enough of the vampire brothers already Sabrina?"

"Just you. But, I'm not having much luck," she put her pencil down, looking up to the raven-haired man. "Before I came here, you and Elena were going to come with me to Whitmore College back in my dimension. I…was having an episode and did a spell that sent me."

Damon made a face. Bonnie didn't think she would ever get used to Damon's disapproval of her friend.

"Why?" He asked in regards to his involvement with Elena, she figured.

"Because my dimension Damon-" she paused, turning to Stefan, "...favored Elena and wanted to help her get used to feeding from the vein."

Stefan frowned, "Why couldn't _I_ help her?"

He paused after a second, "And she's a vampire?"

"You have a terrible blood lust Stefan. So much you even made a name for yourself," Bonnie looked back down, "The Ripper."

She intentionally ignored the Elena and vampire question. She'd rather not think about that.

The brothers grew quiet, before silently regarding each other.

Bonnie realized they didn't seem too fazed by it, "What?"

"Well remember when I said Stefan wants to try this being human thing thus him being a better vampire-whatever that means?" Damon asked her. "He's…"

Stefan shrugged with ease, finishing for him, "I'm still considered The Ripper."

Bonnie felt her body tense up, "R-really?"

The men nodded. She glanced over Stefan and tried to connect with the Ripper from her dimension to the man that stood in front of her bedroom door. He seemed more like the Stefan she considered a friend than the Ripper Stefan that made everyone doubt that he could ever get his humanity back.

"But the thing is," Stefan quickly interrupted her thoughts, "I don't recall anything when I'm the Ripper. And it only happens on a set schedule."

Bonnie sat up some more, "Set schedule?"

Damon pushed himself off the wall to sit on Bonnie's bed, picking up her notebook to glance over it, "Think of werewolves but for vampires. It happens on the nights when there's no moon-"

"The New Moon phase?"

"Sure. During those nights we become our true forms and-well-go on a feeding binge."

"What about you," Bonnie asked, barely above a whisper as she looked to the man that sat beside her. She always considered Damon to have the best control of his blood lust. She knew that he was conscious of everything he did while he fed so to imagine him with a problem similar to his brother's was foreign to her.

He shrugged, "They call me the Drinker. Ironic huh?"

He raised his glass of alcohol to the air to give it a pronounced swirl.

Bonnie turned to Stefan, who gave her a reassuring grin, "Don't worry. Part of the reason why we got this house is because of the basement and how secluded and secure it was from the outside world. It's also in the woods, away from the general population. That and-Damon has better control of our transformations. I don't. And he can help me."

"Stefan's a weird one. Days before the New Moon hits, his body rejects blood. On the night of the New Moon he stays in our true form...from then till the next night," Damon set her book down and took a swig of his drink.

Bonnie's brows furrowed, concerned, "Why?"

"He stays hungry. I can only do so much when I'm in my true form too so..." His cyan eyes looked directly into Bonnie's jade ones with a silent plea of assistance when the time came. She broke his stare.

"The...Drinker?" Bonnie questioned it, tasting the name on her tongue.

"Drain the body dry. Completely. Not one drop of blood left but at least it's a clean kill."

Bonnie shuddered, "Do you reject blood on the days before too?"

Damon shook his head in the negative, "I drink a lot actually. The good thing about that is when I turn I'm not as hungry and won't go as nuts. My last transformations I slept like a baby-"

"But Stefan...will?"

The men nodded, fidgeting a little under her scrutinizing stare.

Bonnie took in a huge breath, nodding, "Ok. So. That must be one of the main differences between my dimension and yours. Anything else?"

"We turn into ugly looking life-size zombie bat looking bastards on that night." Damon answered with light-hearted humor.

"_Very_ ugly. Damon especially." Stefan replied, a coy grin in his eyes as well.

"Says the monster that rips people's bodies apart and then tries to put them back together again in guilt. Imagine a man-size-bat-thing doing that."

"I'd rather not." Bonnie refuted, face twisting is disgust. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Uh...New Moon is in a couple of days?" Stefan confessed, giving her an apologetic look.

"Oh...o-kay."

"You'll do fine Bon-Bon," Damon stood, patting her on her back. "All you've got to do is have the music blasting while we turn, make sure the doors down there are securely locked, and no matter what, do_ not_ let us out until sunrise. Don't let Stefan out at all. _I'll_ handle him."

Bonnie looked between the brothers and felt like she realized one of the other main reasons why the brothers were closer here than in her dimension. They _had_ to be. They only had each other's back. Who would be willing to stick around unfazed by man-eating bat-things? She couldn't imagine how they must really look but something told her they were a lot more dangerous than her Damon and Stefan back home.

After a long pause, she nodded with a silent gulp of concern.

* * *

Damon came downstairs to the kitchen the next morning, fully dressed and thirsty. Not thirsty in the sense that he wanted water (ick) but blood thirst. Yawning, he went to the coffee machine to only hear Bonnie from the table say, "Already been made."

He turned to her with confusion but could smell the heated blood and coffee mix in the air. He looked at where he normally sat at their table, seeing his mug made and still steaming. Bouncing his brows, he smirked to the witch, catching her bend over slightly to sit a cup down at where Stefan sat.

"Well, _well_. Look who's being all domestic for her flat mates."

"'Morning to you too, Damon."

"I see you made my cup first. Careful, Bon-Bon. I might start to think you have a crush on me."

"Never. You wake up earlier than Stefan. And I figured since I don't need to eat or drink anymore...or do much of anything...I could make you guys something in the morning. Plus, I used to do it for my Dad all the time before he got promoted and-well-I don't see much of him anymore..." Bonnie shrugged with nonchalance but Damon had a feeling there was more to that than her feigning apathy. No kid likes absentee parents.

"Hey, Bonnie," he started, sitting down. She looked up before she sat down in her seat as well.

"Thank you," He finished, his eyes not leaving her form.

She blinked, a bit taken aback, nodding before looking down at her notebook he saw yesterday. It didn't matter if it was from her dimension (though he ceased to do it anymore) or here, she would never get used to Damon being grateful.

"I'm serious. I don't take this lightly..." He looked down at his cup, "Unless you slipped some vervain in it..."

She grinned at him, amused, "And why would I do that?"

"You hate me?"

She frowned, "That-I-"

"I did attack your friend to spite you so you have every right to hate me."

She kept quiet. Damon's seat faced Stefan's while she sat on the side of them both, serving as the middle. It fit. Blue eyes looked at the light umber skinned girl with curiosity, "So, Kiki. What are your plans for today? Planning on delivering on that special broom of yours?"

"_Ha-ha_. Trying to remember that spell that brought me here. You?"

"Making nice with the Council. Same-old-same-old."

"Oh. Well. I do...kinda need your help too," Bonnie looked to him. "If you're not too busy."

"Me? Why not Stefan?" Damon took another appreciative gulp of his drink. For a witch-ghost she sure knew how to make a mean bloody cup of coffee.

Bonnie rolled her eyes, "Stefan's going to school. And I asked _you_ for a reason. You want a truce outta me, remember?"

"You making me this coffee is truce enough. Seriously. Did you put a spell on this or something? Sabrina. You shouldn't have."

"I was trying to make nice. Plus. There's still the New Moon thing we have to keep in mind."

"Your concern is touching."

"Thanks. Now. Will you help me?"

Damon looked thoughtful, "A truce is out of the question now. Serving me coffee is evidence enough of our mutual tolerance. But I _do_ want a favor. "

Bonnie's lips pursed in suspicion, "What is it?"

"I'll let you know when I need it," he smirked suggestively at her, taking another sip of his drink.

She seemed unsure but nodded, "OK. But nothing funny."

"Not like I could do much. You're a ghost. Anyway, what do you need from yours truly?"

"Do you know if my grams left behind a Grimoire?"

"No. But if she left anything behind it would probably be at Whitmore College."

"Ah. I wonder if Professor Shane is working there now..."

"Who?"

"This guy I have reason to believe is an expert on everything supernatural. We exchanged emails before I popped up here. In fact-I could even go to him and see if he has any abandoned grimoires or knows a thing or two about ghosts."

"Don't you sound like you have the hots for the professor," Damon muttered, rolling his eyes.

"He _is_ hot. So maybe." Bonnie gave her roommate a smug grin, "Jealous?"

"_Pfft_." Damon supplied, standing up as soon as Stefan came in. The younger Salvatore noticed the still warm, untouched cup of bloody coffee on the table that sat at his seat before he turned to Bonnie in question, "'Morning, and is that mine?"

She nodded, smiling, "Good morning and yeah. I made it."

Stefan grinned appreciatively at her, "Thanks."

He picked up the cup, took a sip and faltered a bit. Looking back down at her, he smiled, "You put blood in it."

"Yeah?"

He nodded, drinking more of it this time. When he finished, he gave his thanks and half-waved a goodbye to his older brother who watched him expectantly. Upon leaving the room to head to school, Bonnie made sure she could hear the youngest Salvatore drive off the land before turning to Damon, "What was that about?"

"A day before New Moon. He might upchuck it later on at school," Damon shrugged, finishing his cup and setting it by the sink, "His turn on dishes."

He looked back at the witch-ghost bringing up their previous conversation, "There's more to your favor?"

"Oh. Right. Could you take me to Whitmore?"

Damon seemed thoughtful, "As long as you keep your end of the bargain."

"Whatever that is."

"Mmhm. So you want me to be a mouthpiece or something? ..._kinky_."

Bonnie shook her head, "_Obviously_ not like that but yes. I do."

"Can't you make yourself visible instead? Ghosts can do that, y'know."

"...I don't know how to."

"I bet you can even make yourself physically touchable for the living. You're a witch with an endless supply of magic now. Abuse it every once in a while."

Bonnie frowned, "I can't. That's part of the reason _why_ I'm here. I went too far...I always go too far."

They fell silent for a beat before Damon broke it, "Why do you always go 'too far'?"

"For my friends. They needed me."

He leaned back against the counter, "Hmmm...Sounds like you're not selfish enough. And where has that selfless attitude got you?"

Nowhere. But Bonnie didn't say that. She didn't say anything. But whether or not being selfish helps, it wasn't the right thing to do.

Bonnie's silence was answer enough for the vampire however.

"I don't know the full story, Bennett, but maybe you got sent here for a different perspective."

"I don't know about _you,_ Salvatore, but I _do_ know you well enough to know you have a way for making everything you want sound like a good idea."

"What am I getting out of you splurging your ghostly witchy powers on yourself, Bonnie?"

She pulled in her lips to stop herself from grinning before nodding and looking down at her notebook. He had a point.

"Flatmate to a fellow Flatmate, be a little more selfish. It guarantees you giving yourself more credit and thought. Might even be the right move for you as a ghost."

Bonnie let in a breath, taking in his words like a sponge, "So, what. Are you an expert on ghosts too?"

Damon bounced his brows, crossing his arms against his chest.

She disappeared from the table and reappeared in front of him, mirroring his posture, "Spill."

"Well, being the undead myself, we supernatural beings can see ghosts, no problem. So I've had my run-in with many distressed spirits."

Bonnie tilted her head at him, silently prompting him to continue, her locks of hair revealing her neck. Damon licked his bottom lip despite himself as he looked down at her, "Considering I'm part of the reason they got that way in the first place."

"In other words…you killed them," she took a step back, Damon internally groaned. Then he mentally chastised himself. She's a _ghost,_ Salvatore. Stop.

"More or less," he finally answered.

"Did they haunt you at least?"

"Of course. But at least I found a way to get in their good graces and helped them find their unfinished business so that they could 'move on'."

"...they never suggested staking you?"

"They have. But that doesn't benefit me."

"Typical."

He winked, "You love it."

"'Unfinished business'? What is that?" She ignored the gesture, keeping her arms crossed.

"Say I just died. And I don't know why. My 'Unfinished business' would be to find out. But it depends on the Casper."

"What happens when you complete your 'unfinished business'?"

"A door appears or Death's door and you...walk through it thus officially kicking the bucket and passing on to the next life or however the hell that works."

Bonnie caught her breath, smiling, "That might be it!"

Damon raised an eyebrow, "What might be it?"

"My ticket to getting back home!"

"Splendid. Have any idea what your 'unfinished business' is, Wicked Witch?"

Bonnie's smile didn't leave her face, "Nope."

Damon's countenance fell at first in disbelief but then he laughed. Bonnie felt her stomach flip as the older vampire looked at her again, shook his head, and laughed some more.

"Cute, Bonnie. Real cute."

* * *

"So. You draw demonic symbolism on our floor in the middle of the day, with chalk and you look down on _us_ for eating people? That's nice."

Bonnie sat in the middle of her pentagram, rolling her eyes, "It's not demonic."

"Says you."

She shook her head, sitting up straight before chanting. Damon watched her by the entrance of her room with crossed arms. He leaned against her doorframe, not moving from his spot since this was the first time he actually got to see Bonnie do an actual spell. And it was one that didn't involve him being thrown about and getting migraines.

The candles flickered before going out. She then took in a deep breath as she opened her eyes slowly.

"So...mind telling me what that was for?"

Bonnie turned to him, grinning, "I just made up a spell."

"Oh?"

"Yup. I'm taking your advice."

"You_ are_?"

"Yeah. The mailman's here."

"And?"

"I'm going to talk to him," she grinned brightly, surprising the man, before she disappeared. Damon furrowed his brows, speeding down to the front door and witnessing Bonnie keeping the door open as she talked to the mailman.

He was younger than your average mailman but still too old to be eyeballing the witch. He seemed pretty excited to see Bonnie. _Too_ excited. It rubbed Damon the wrong way.

"I didn't know a pretty lady like yourself stayed here. Isn't it a bit big and lonely?" He asked while Damon stalked behind the girl.

"It's big, but it's not lonely at all. I do have roommates," she looked up at Damon with a knowing grin, "Here's one of them."

The man's eyes widened before nodding uneasily at her, "Oh. I see. Your roommate is your boyfriend...?"

Damon smirked smugly at the man while knowing Bonnie frowned in disapproval, "Actually-"

"Yup!" He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush to him. She was _squishy_ and that amused him, "I know how to choose 'em. So. The mail?"

"...right. Here," the guy handed him the envelopes before giving a longing look to the ghost. He then turned to leave, sulking. Damon closed the door without a second thought, snorting at how pathetic the man was acting, and then went through the mail apathetically.

"Why did you do that?" Bonnie's hands found her hips.

He shrugged, "See? I knew you could pull off being physical for the living. Four for me?"

"No. And what gives you the gall to touch me like that?"

Damon looked down at her easily, "If it's any consolation, you're _very_ soft."

"Gee thanks."

"Welcome. But I promise I won't touch you unless _you_ ask, Judgy. Ah. Almost forgot. I got a call that Stefan's bringing over Elena for dinner tonight."

Bonnie's eyes widened, "W-what? Really?"

"Yeah. Wants me to meet Elena and 'give her a chance'," Damon rolled his eyes in absolute annoyance, "It's a fat chance but I need moral support."

He looked to her expectantly.

Bonnie immediately got the silent plead, "No. Especially since I have an idea after what you did with the mailman."

"_Oh c'mon_. You said you'd do me a favor."

"I didn't think pretending to be your _girlfriend_ would be the case."

She headed to the living room, feeling her cheeks warm. She shook her head to get it out of her system, failing miserably. She was a spirit. She shouldn't be able to _blush_.

"Now, now, Bon. Who said anything about you pretending to be my girlfriend? You're jumping to conclusions-as tempting as they are."

"No."

"Ungh. _Fine_. As a friend?"

"Why do you need me to be there anyway?"

"Did you forget I need moral support? And you promised me a favor? You being there will actually keep me from coming off as an ass. Since she's your best friend from another dimension I won't be as much of a dick knowing you're there. By my side. Ready to fry my brain if I get out of line."

Bonnie opened her mouth to refuse again but no sound came out. His words tickled her in a good way. Almost "giddy" like. He needed her by his side. He needed her as moral support. Just a day or two ago, she told him she hated him. And meant it. Now? Not so much.

"Plus, I'll be less likely to stake myself from boredom if you're there." He added.

He bunched his eyebrows up, giving her an expression similar to that of a puppy dog pout, "Please?"

There was that feeling again. When she saw him sprawled in Caroline's bed looking like a guy she wanted to cuddle up next to. That feeling came back, but add "kiss" to the equation. She refused to admit to herself that she actually thought that.

Bonnie frowned, groaning out a stressed, "_Okay_."

"Great," Damon turned from her to toss the mail on his liquor table. "Thanks, birdie."

"But you're still taking me to Whitmore College, tomorrow. I'm not sure if Professor Shane is teaching there yet but the possibility of my Grimoire being there is too good to pass up."

"_If_ it's there," Damon grabbed his keys, heading to the front door. Alarmed, Bonnie followed after him, "Wait, where are you going?"

"Going to talk to the mayor. Remember? I said I have to play nice so they won't suspect us for anything strange happening."

"Especially for tomorrow night?"

Damon paused before giving her a single nod, "Especially tomorrow night. But we'll be fine."

Bonnie nodded, still frowning. But if there's one thing that she could rely on, it was Damon keeping his word.

* * *

No sign of either Salvatore brother. School been let out and Damon sucking up to the council should have ended by now. Bonnie wasn't sure why but she had a bad feeling about staying alone in this big house. Sure she said she wasn't lonely to the mailman earlier but something...seemed off.

"It's quiet. That's why."

Bonnie stood to her feet to turn on the stereo.

As soon as she did the lights flickered and static played on the radio. Confused, she changed to another station to only get the same results.

"Broken?" Bonnie mused in question, turning the stereo off. She turned on her heel to walk back to the couch when the stereo turned on again.

The static was still there but she could make out wistful whispers. Bonnie's stomach tightened, scared as she looked to the stereo, expecting something else to happen.

It was incredibly still, making Bonnie gulp, "...yes? Anyone...there?"

_"Bonnie?"_

Her eyes widened as her, lack of better diction, ghost-heart began to pace.

"_Bonnie! Hello_!"

Then...she furrowed her brows, skeptical.

_"You don't know who I am! But I'm-along with quite a few others-maintain the balance of the spirit world in this dimension."_

"Witch spirits?"

"_No. But we did have a word with them. You're a popular name in the spirit realm!"_

Bonnie took a couple of steps to the stereo, "What's going on? Is my Grams alright?"

There was a static pause before the youthful voice continued, "_You're upsetting the balance of nature in this world Bonnie Bennett! You weren't supposed to come here. It was really all a mistake!"_

"Can you take me back to my dimension? Is that what you're telling me?"

"_No. You were supposed to die."_

Bonnie stepped back like she stepped on lava. She felt cold and the sentence didn't stick right coming from something so bubbly.

"_But don't worry! We're arranging some things so that we can do just that! We've got everything under control."_

"No."

"..._Excuse me?"_

"No. If you're not going to help send me back to my dimension then I don't want your help. I'm not going to let you or the spirits kill me."

_"...but Bonnie. You did this. You brought this on yourself. Therefore you must suffer the consequences of your actions_."

"I did it for the people I _love_! But you're right. I did do this. And I'm going to fix it."

A new voice came through the speakers, "_We have given you chance after chance Bonnie."_

Bonnie felt the air change, as the lights flicked on and off, recognizing immediately who it was, "I don't care Emily. I'm sick and tired of being punished for helping my friends."

The furniture began to shake violently.

"I'll die when _I_ see fit," Bonnie started, nearing the stereo.

"_You don't know what you're messing with_."

"You don't either," Bonnie snatched the plug from the socket, cutting the stereo off and ceasing all activity in the room. Her ghostly heart was pacing a mile a minute due to habit. She stood to her feet, looking down at the stereo with a little fear in her system.

Great. Something_ else_ to worry about.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in another Dimension..._

"Damon? Where are you?" Damon heard Stefan say as soon as he picked up his cell phone.

"Well, I _was _waiting for Little Gilbert to meet me at the hospital. Noticed no one else is trying to get the witch back. Figured we'll do the honors."

Stefan sighed, leaning against the counter, "Elena stabbed Jeremy in the neck late last night."

Damon looked down at the witch who looked completely oblivious of the chaos starting to happen around her, "I hope the dweeb had his ring on."

"Yeah. Elena's pretty shook up."

"I could imagine how _he's_ gonna feel though. His big sister sticking it to him and all." Ha. Puns.

"That's not funny Damon."

"I guess that's why she's been calling me all morning to come over."

There was a long pause, "So she _has_ been calling you."

"If it'll make you feel any better," Damon started before plopping back in his seat, "I told her she should be calling you instead. Well. Texted her actually."

"This is weird Damon."

"I know. I expected her to kill Jeremy a lot sooner than this."

Stefan sighed on the other line, "No. You've been avoiding her. We're in a rough place and you're not taking advantage of it."

Damon paused, "Well. My being there and giving her suggestions isn't helping the situation. Besides, brother. You two need to work it out. You're brooding more than usual—Found out why she did it?"

Stefan wanted to probe more but decided against it, "She was hallucinating."

Damon could hear a harsh gasp. Young Gilbert must have wakened.

"How are you feeling?" Stefan asked the kid. Damon rolled his eyes, "Like his sister just stabbed him in the neck. How else would he feel?"

Stefan made a grunt and Damon twisted his face, continuing, "Send Little Gilbert to me. We got some business to attend to anyway."

"I'll fill you in on Elena in the meantime."

"If you want to," Damon hung up, his eyes falling on the witch again. "Another day in Mystic Falls, Judgy."

Silence

He stood to his feet again, standing over her with furrowed brows. He knew a mix of emotions flashed across his face as he allowed his hand to brush her cheek, lingering almost. Hissing, he stepped back, all too aware of what this reminded him of and what he would rather not think about again.

The night she played dead what seemed so long ago.

Where they successfully fooled Klaus into thinking he killed his biggest threat. Where Damon was _first_ introduced to these…conflicting feelings he had for her. Where, to better remind himself of where his true feelings and intentions laid, told Elena that if it came between her and the witch…he would gladly let Bonnie die. He deserved to have his foot in his mouth when the opportunity _did _happen, but at least the absentee Mother Bennett (though…yeah…he _was _sorry about that—kinda) was in the crossfire so he wouldn't _have_ to let Bonnie die. The idea of her dying, like he said, wasn't an idea that he liked.

Then there was _this_ new load of bullshit to sort out. Bonnie was in a coma. Actually…she was _still_ in a coma. And his patience was running thin. Letting nature take its course to wake her up—or not, wasn't cutting it for him so he'll bring her back himself instead.

Damon felt a weird draft, making him turn to the end of Bonnie's bed to see a see-through Sheila Bennett looking back at him crossly and with disdain. Jumping, he stepped back to only have her reappear right in front of him, black veins visible under her skin, "_My granddaughter's in danger, __**vampire**__._"

He stared at her speechless.

"_And it seems like you're the only one willing to help_."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks _so much_ for the reviews, all those story hits (seriously!), follows, alerts, and favs. Makes me happy that you all are enjoying it so far. Hope you enjoyed this rather quick update as well. Also happy feasting holidays if you're celebrating! Next chapter should be _fun_~**

**And as always, I absolutely _love_ hearing from you all. It motivates me.**


	6. Chapter 6

******Disclaimer: I do not own the TVD characters of L.J. Smith and the CW. That also stands for _Being Human UK. _No copyright infringement was intended.**

* * *

**Ch. 6**

Jeremy rubbed his neck without much thought as he sat in the passenger seat of the raven haired man's car. He looked to him, eyebrows furrowed as the vampire grumbled to himself.

"So. How will going to some professor help us get Bonnie back?"

Damon rolled his eyes and didnt answer.

"...Oka-y," Jeremy drawled, shaking his head.

They sat in silence, driving speedily towards the high school.

Damon had his elbow propped up against the window, his palm pushing against the left side of his face. All he could think about was Sheila's apparition, boring holes into his already undead corpse.

_Sheila disappeared from before him to reappear by Bonnie's side, opposite of him. Her hand pulled a strand of hair from the girl's face before she spoke again, "She wanted to go back in time...but had no firm grasp as to when or where."_

_The older witch looked up at him then, eyes narrowing, "Now she's lost."_

_Damon wanted to snap at her. He wanted to roll his eyes, her anger, and resentment off his shoulders like they were nothing but flecks of dust. But he kept silent and only watched her intently. He then watched the way her hand lingered on the side of Bonnie's face._

_He couldn't help but notice the black veins crawling under the ghost's skin. He suddenly felt uneasy, concerned that those black spidery webs would transfer into Bonnie's person._

_He couldn't help it but he did get irritated at how cautious he became._

_Sheila narrowed her eyes at his silence, "Last I remembered, you had the mouth of a devil. Now you seem to have more respect for your elders."_

_"Technically, I'm much older than you."_

_She gave him a half-hearted smirk, one very similar to Judgy's, "And look how much more mature you are than I."_

_He didn't have it in him to snap back. Jeremy should be getting closer which would probably scare her off. But it seemed that Sheila was the only one that knew what happened to the witch and he wasn't going to let himself fuck up the only opportunity of fixing this._

_"You mentioned her being lost. You don't mind explaining why, Grandmother Bennett?"_

_She straightened, head rising._

_Bonnie took after her grandmother, that's for sure._

_"A spell did this to her. And her soul's lost."_

_"Where?"_

_"If I knew that, _Salvatore. _Do you _think_ I would call her 'lost'?"_

_Touché Bennett._

_"Where she is, my soul can not reach. I'm not allowed."_

_"Alright then. How do we get her back?"_

_"She can only bring herself back. We can only give her the necessary tools for her to do so."_

_Damon snarled, losing his patience, "How can we even do _that_ if the damned witch is 'lost'!"_

_The room temperature dropped in seconds and the power in the room sputtered. Damon turned to the heart monitor immediately, hoping that the sudden power hiccup didn't do anything to put Bonnie at risk._

_He then turned to Sheila angrily, "You can't do that-"_

_Sheila appeared in front of him, her hand in his chest, a cold death grip wrapping around his inanimate heart, "You've lost _all_ privilege to tell me what I can and can not do,_**vampire**. _You lost my mercy when you snapped Abby's neck and turned her; forever tainting the very line you were __**supposed**__ to be protecting. Now that my granddaughter is in a coma and can't perform spells like you want her to you expect me to believe that you have her best interests at heart?"_

_He felt a squeeze and a pull. All he could do was gape at her, eyes silently pleading for her to let go._

_"I'm __**angry**__ Salvatore. And when ghosts are consumed with an emotion that is _all _they can feel. Unfortunately for you, you have to deal with a Bennett ghost. Do I make myself clear?"_

_He hissed, feeling shivers run up and down his core._

_She watched him for a second longer before letting go and stepping back from him calmly. Reappearing beside Bonnie, her hand caressed her cheek, a look of sadness on her face._

_Damon's hand was at his heart as he stared, astonished, at Sheila before she faded away._

"Now that we're here, can you tell me what we're supposed to be doing?" Jeremy spoke up, awaking Damon from his thoughts.

The vampire of the two glanced around to find himself in the parking lot of the high school. He got out of the car, glaring, "We're looking for a Professor Shane. He might know what happened to Bonnie and apparently he has a seminar today at your school."

"I thought _you_ were the one that knew all that needs to be known about witches?"

Damon sucked his teeth before looking to the Gilbert kid and raising his brows in its typical, mocking manner, "Considering how fast Bonnie is recovering, that ought to be the last thing on your mind, _Caillou_."

Jeremy twisted his face at the nickname to Damon's pleasure as the men walked on the premises.

* * *

"Legend says Silas did the spell to help a lady witch who loved him. A woman by the name of Ketsia. Sadly for Ketsia, Silas granted immortality to another woman so Ketsia killed her and buried Silas alive."

Damon and Jeremy walked into the gymnasium where the presentation was being shown. The Salvatore noticed the rest of the snot nosed brats (read: Matt and what's-her-face) that Jeremy normally hung with. The kid left Damon to catch up to them while the vampire rolled his eyes. Typical. You are who you hung with.

He felt his phone ringing and decided that whatever "news" Stefan had for him could wait. He was too busy trying to save their witch (which only benefits them so c'mon, Stefan will survive) and apparently the professor currently speaking, and gave "creep" vibes, was the guy of interest.

"Now, it's said that Silas wants to rise again. Regain his power, wreck havoc on the world," continued the professor who looked anything but knowledgable, in Damon's opinion.

He gave a long stare to a picture of a witch that looked similar to Bonnie on his projector screen. Dude's "creep-o-mometer" went up an extra ten degrees just then.

"Maybe we should be afraid. Or maybe it's a bunch of crap and it's just an old rock," he gestured to said rock flippantly, gaining him laughs. Damon rolled his eyes.

"Alright listen! Enjoy exploring the exhibit, I'll be around to answer any questions. Thank you for coming," the professor walked back over to the rock as Damon sauntered over to him, glancing over the ancient art work and information about Silas behind the young professor.

He cleared his throat, gaining the professor's attention as he turned around with a patient grin, "Ah, hey!"

He stood up straight to better address Damon as he stuck his hand out for a shake. Damon took it, remembering the days of kissing the Council's ass, "Hey, I'm a friend of Bonnie's and I-"

"Oh!" Shane nodded, crossing his arms casually, "Bonnie Bennett? The granddaughter of the late Sheila Bennett? Yes, we were-uh-exchanging emails before setting up to actually meet-"

"And it didn't happen," Damon finished by interrupting. Only because Professor Creepy started it.

"Yeah..."

"Well, see, that's why I'm here. Wanted to fill you in on what's been happening but in private since it's kinda a 'private' matter."

Shane furrowed his brows before nodding, "Uh sure, yeah. No problem. Any friend of the Bennett's is someone I'm envious of."

He gave a chuckle but Damon didn't join in. The hell did that even mean?

Shane frowned slightly before grinning again, "Guess we better find a place to talk?"

* * *

Damon ignored the ringing from his cell again as he sat in a teacher's chair at their desk, fully relaxed. He lost Jeremy but whatever. He'll worry about the dweeb later.

The professor closed the classroom's door behind him before turning back to the vampire with his hands in his pockets, "So...?"

"Bonnie's in a coma."

Shane's eyes widened, "Wh-what-?"

"Which is why we bailed on visiting you. I was the designated driver then-yeah," Damon shrugged nonchalantly.

"Wow-I-wow...will she be alright? You know if it's just a small-"

"That's actually why I sought you out. You know a lot about witches, I hear." He shrugged again, pursing his lips in a good natured sort of way, "I, myself, _love_ witches."

Shane fidgeted under Damon's scrutinizing stare, "Well...you and me both brother-I've travelled all over the world, met plenty of witches and warlocks-"

"Same."

A beat of silence.

"Oh..." Shane's eyes looked towards the exit. Damon noticed the spike in the professor's heart beat. Fight or flight mode was just a beat away. But at least now, Damon assumed, Shane knew that all present persons knew about the existence of witches and how serious the following conversation concerning the Bennett witch was going to be.

"But we're kind of in a bit of a situation with Bonnie," Damon started carefully, eyeing the professor. "I think she fell into a magical coma."

"How do you know?"

Damon bit the inside of his mouth to keep from sighing in impatient exasperation. He did, however, end up rolling his eyes. Luckily, the professor didn't catch that. Damon had to play nice with this guy (a little) if he wants to save the witch.

"She passed out in the middle of performing a spell...or at the end. We're not sure. We just know the coma that she's in is due to magic and I want to know if you might have an idea on how to break a witch out of it."

Shane stared hard and long at Damon before he started to nod slowly, "Normally, when witches over exert themselves and their magic they do fall into a sort of coma-"

"This I know."

Shane continued, ignoring Damon's interruption, "But, depending on the spell...falling into a coma was probably just nature's way of balancing itself out with whatever spell she performed."

"A...time travelling spell."

Shane frowned, "Time travel?"

"Apparently."

Shane looked thoughtful, "Theoretically speaking, if she successfully performed a time travelling spell...her soul is what went back in time."

"And why is that 'theoretical'?"

"It would have already happened? We wouldn't have this conversation? In other words-She would have already tampered with past events and we all would be responding to the new time frame. _Ultimately,_ she wouldn't be in a coma anymore."

A heavy beat passed.

"But, things are relatively the same-so to speak. If Bonnie went back in time, they would have already changed."

"Then what is this coma she's in now? She's never been this out of the game since-ever."

Shane frowned further, "Perhaps...she had a near death experience? And what little magic she had left protected her from dying of over exertion."

Damon remembered her heart stopping altogether that day. He swore under his breath.

"We've talked," Shane continued, watcing Damon closely, "she told me she had problems performing spells so...forgive me that her finding the strength to perform a time travelling spell is a bit out of the blue for me..."

"Sheila told me she wanted-to..time travel..."

"'Wanted'?"

Damon glowered to himself, noting the professor's unsure tone of voice, "She wanted to but that doesn't mean she's _just_ in a stronger-than-normal magical coma."

Shane gave a patient sigh though, "You had the opportunity to speak to Sheila Bennett?"

"We're practically _best friends_." Damon ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

Shane crossed his arms, "I say wait it out. Nature is every witch's medicine. Let it take its course and Bonnie should wake soon."

"We don't have that kind of time," Damon let out, frustrated. "Time might be the _one thing_ that kills her. Leaving her side is dangerous on its own. _Anyone_ could take advantage of her and-"

He silenced himself once realizing all he said.

Shane looked at him, slightly empathetic, "Her body was tired, Damon. The only other explanation I can give is that even after not being able to use her magic, she probably pushed herself more than necessary and the spirits...did something. Even then, you'll have to be patient."

Damon's cell rung again, and since he was fed up with today's events altogether, he answered, "_What?_"

"It's Elena. She's been hallucinating because she killed the Hunter and he's trying to kill her by having her kill herself." Stefan said quickly, flustered.

Damon fell silent.

"Klaus took her away as well."

For _fuck's _sake.

* * *

Elena glared at the hybrid as she sat, captive, in one of Klaus' rooms. The hybrid just explained her necessities and Klaus' next plan of action in dealing with her. Needless to say, she was fuming.

"Just...please, go, away," she wasn't sure if the impending hallucination was fueling her growing headache or the course of today's events: like being kidnapped by Klaus.

The hybrid sighed before leaving her, revealing Connor with a passive look on his face as he answered calmly, "I can't."

Elena's absent heart skipped a beat before she looked up at him.

"I'm gonna be with you forever." He sauntered over to her, muscles tensing as he continued, "I'm that constant reminder of what you've become."

Elena looked down, pulling in her lips as that same absent heart beat began to shatter.

_A murderer. _She finished his sentence mentally.

"So tell me, how'd it feel to drain the life out of me?" Connor asked, standing before her finally.

Elena's voice started to break, "It was horrible. It was the worst thing I've ever done."

"You're lying."

The chestnut haired woman looked up immediately, aghast, "No...I'm not."

"Yes, you are. Tell the truth."

"I _am_ telling the truth!"

"You're _lying_." He hissed.

Snapping, Elena jumped to her feet, stepping to him, "Fine! _I liked it_! I _love_ the taste of your blood! _Are you happy_?"

"No, Elena. I'm _dead._"

She could have sworn she heard glass break as she took a couple of steps back. Where her heart lied, it hurt, a lot.

"Did you know I had a family? A brother?"

Elena started to shake her head in the negative.

"...parents?"

Her head couldn't stop shaking, "I'm sorry...I-I'm _really_ sorry."

"Are you sorry about _your_ parents? It's your fault they died." a wicked smirk graced the hunter's handsome face.

Elena's mouth, however, fell, "_Don't."_

_"_They ran off Wickery Bridge with you in the car. They weren't supposed to be there were they?" He stepped up closer to her as she stepped back, shaking her head further, her throat drying immediately with her vision starting to blur.

"They _died _because of you."

Elena bumped into the seat behind her, feeling anxious.

"I'm not going to stop until you take your last, miserable, breath," he murmured in her ear, his blood still a strong scent in her presence but only making Elena feel sicker.

She mustered up the little bit of anger in her to walk away from him, "I'm not going to let you do this to me."

"Then get rid of me!" He exclaimed with a grin. "Kill yourself."

Elena frowned.

"You never wanted to be a vampire in the first place now look what you've become."

All she could do was shake her head but her mouth couldn't speak out against him. To disagree with him.

"A monster."

She turned from him, her hands grasping the back of her neck to try and comfort herself. Her lips pulled in as her throat dried and the pain in her heart became more prominent.

"A _murderer_."

"Stop." She begged, her hands now covering her ears.

"You don't wanna listen to me?"

Elena refused to turn back to him.

"Fine."

In that instant Elena felt like his presence disappeared, but as she turned Katherine strolled up to her, "Then how about you and I have a little chat?"

Disbelief written all over her face, Elena let her hands slowly fall from her ears, "Katherine?"

"Didja miss me?" She answered with a question of her own and a smirk.

* * *

"So little Gilbert. I know I said we came here to save Bonnie but it looks like Elena needs saving too."

As always.

Jeremy frowned towards Damon as he marched into the classroom, "What do I do?"

After Shane gave Damon insight on what to do to save Elena, he immediately dismissed the professor (he obviously didnt like him) and called Jeremy in for his "services". There was reason for his tagging along after all.

"Elena's having hallucinations-"

"Stefan already filled me in."

"Of _course_ he did," Damon was on his feet.

"What do I do Damon?" Jeremy stressed, again, irritated himself.

Damon frowned, realization etching his face. _Wait-How'd Professor Creepy know my name? I never gave him my-_

"Damon?" Jeremy tried again, confused.

"You have to kill a vampire. Hybrid. Whatever-and you get the mark thus Elena stops hallucinating." Damon answered, seething to himself for not catching the realization when Shane was present.

"Good. Give me a stake and I'll kill you."

Damon glared in warning, "Whoa there Van Helsing, you'll get your vampire."

He then shoulder bumped him as he left the classroom, "But in the meantime you need me alive whether you like it or not."

* * *

"Don't you _ever _stop crying?"

Elena sniffles as she hugs her knee to her chest.

"Poor Elena, _always_ the victim. Except..." Katherine continued before trailing off into thought. She then turned back to her doppelgänger, "...Now you're a killer. What does Stefan think of the new you?"

Elena hissed, "_Shut, up."_

_"_The girl he fell in love with is gone you know." It wasn't a question. "You're like me now."

She then whispered like the next thing was a scandalous secret, "Maybe worst."

Exasperated, Elena slapped her hands to the seat, "I made a mistake, I can do better!"

"No, you can't. You're a vampire. You'll kill again and you'll keep killing until it changes you. And then you'll be just like me." Katherine knelt down slightly in a way to taunt her as she smirked devilishly.

Elena jumped up into Katherine's face, "I am _nothing_ like you!"

Katherine, however, leaned forward easily, "_I_ was you before _you_ even existed."

Elena froze, unsure of what to spit back.

"And when Stefan knew the real me-he hated me."

Elena's heart crumbled like paper at the realization. Katherine, on the other hand, grinned before turning from her to stroll to the bed to have a seat, "Now he'll hate you. But at least you'll have Damon."

"_Shut up!"_

Elena went to tackle the Petrova girl to only have her vanish in the thick, tense air. She flopped on the bed, confused, before feeling absolutely devastated. Sitting up immediately to look around to find where Katherine went, Elena soon gave up and ran trembling fingers through her hair to pull it back from her face.

"Now, now. No need to be violent," Katherine sat beside her, patting her on the knee before she stood to her feet to look at her more appropriately. "Where were we?"

"Stop...please...just stop." Elena proceeded to cover her ears again, burying her face in her knees.

Katherine pursed her lips before nodding, "I guess me getting through to you isn't enough either. But I know one person you'll listen to whether you want to or not."

Elena furrowed her brows when she realized no noise (or talking) was going on anymore. She slowly let her hands uncover her ears before looking up, expecting an empty room.

But instead, Bonnie was the one looking straight back at her.

They stared at each other for a long, heavy moment, no one making a move to the other. Elena let out a choked sound of relief as she stood to her feet, ready to run into her friend's arms, "Oh God, _Bonnie_!"

Elena took a step forward while Bonnie took two steps back.

Brown, bemused eyes fell on pained, green ones.

"Bonnie?"

"I can't do this anymore 'Lena."

Elena's heart sunk immediately before asking in a tiny voice, "What?"

"This..." Bonnie motioned between the two.

"'This'?"

"This...friendship."

"What? Bonnie, no-" Elena moved to get closer to her to only have Bonnie step back further, "Elena, stop."

She did.

"I've...I've lost _so _much because of you," Elena's best friend murmured, voice cracking. "My Grams..."

"Bonnie-" Elena tried approaching her again. Bonnie shook her head feverly, "I said s_top, Elena._"

The doppelgänger could feel her heart shatter to the point of unfixable.

"First my Grams, then my _mom-_when will it be me next? When will you let _me_ die?"

"Bonnie! No! I would _never_ want to let you die for me!"

"I know you don't _want _it Elena, but you'll _let_ it happen. By the hands of the Salvatore brothers probably. Damon _especially_. After everything he's done to us, to Jeremy, me-you _still_ care about him?"

Elena's vision blurred, her voice cracking as well, "_No_, Bonnie_-_"

"What about my mom? What about Abby? I never even got the _chance_ to bond with her. I lost her to you _twice, _Elena-and then she left me again."

"Bonnie, I'm so sorry-" Elena's hands started to shake in an uncontrollable manner.

"You're _always_ sorry, 'Lena! You always apologize for _them_!" Bonnie's normally strong and patient eyes were that of pure contempt. And it was directed to Elena. All the doppelganger could do was wince, "What will it take for you to realize that you're no better than they are?"

Elena's eyes widened at that, stepping away from her, "You don't mean that."

"I do. Letting them kill innocent people for you. Letting them get away with their actions. The end justifies the means though, doesn't it, Elena? I walked the dead for you and the only thing you gave in return was for me to make you a daywalker ring? The same day I lost my Grams again to the spirits? Where I was choked by Klaus?"

Elena felt the tears fall easily down her cheeks.

"I lost my _magic_, Elena! I was _depressed. _I _needed _you." Her hands shook in fists as she ranted on.

"Bonnie I know-I _know_ you did but-"

"Then why couldn't you be there for me just that one time? I was always there for you. I'm willing to die for you. What was more important than just _visiting _me to see if I was ok? God! If you ever visited you probably could have saved me from my coma."

Elena chocked on a sob as she sat back down on the bed, not even bothering to wipe the tears from her face.

"I used to be so sure we were like sisters,'Lena...willing to die for each other because we love each other that much...now I-I just don't know anymore."

"No Bonnie! I still would! I still-"

"Then prove it," Bonnie wiped the stubborn tears from her face as she looked down at Elena.

The cursed vampire looked up, mouth agape, eager to hear what her best friend suggests for her to do to make it up to her.

"Kill yourself."

Elena just stared at her.

"Die for me like I've done for you. Do the entire town a favor and take your own life, ok?" Bonnie finally knelt before her as she grabbed up her hands eagerly, "Please. Just do this one thing for me Elena."

Elena shook her head in disbelief but silent tears continued to run down her cheek.

"Please?"

And then the desperate vampire gave a single nod.

* * *

If he hadn't had been there in time...Elena would have died.

What did she mean she had to do it "for Bonnie"?

* * *

She was going to meet Stefan outside her porch to talk because it was important. Everytime she thought about it she would glance at her daywalker ring that Damon retrieved for her from Wickery Bridge. The same ring Bonnie made for her the night she lost her magic and her Grams. Guilt consumed her before she looked away.

Then again...

She was such an_ idiot_. How could she think that Bonnie would _ever_ want her to take her life? Even when her parent's death was still fresh, Bonnie was the one that made sure she didn't go off the deep end.

Elena looked at the time nervously as she wrung her fingers in anticipation. Stefan would be there any minute and they would...talk.

And then right after, she was going to see Bonnie at the hospital.

The doorbell rung and Elena answered it. Her breath caught in her throat a little when she saw Stefan. He gave her a half-hearted grin.

"Stefan..." She breathed out when her cell phone started to vibrate on her hip. She held her finger up at him to wait as she answered it.

"BONNIE'S AWAKE!"

"Caroline-calm down-"

"BONNIE'S AWAKE. SHE'S AWAKE. GET DOWN HERE _NOW."_

The blonde then hung up. Stefan heard her loud and clear as he waited patiently for Elena's next course of action.

She looked to him and then to her cellphone. Nodding to herself, she put her cellphone away and gave Stefan an apologetic look, "I'm sorry Stefan-"

"It's ok. It's Bonnie. We'll talk later."

She nodded as they both hurried off to the hospital.

* * *

_Something's not right._

Damon watched the "happy" scene in silence and crossed arms against his chest. Everyone was there for the awakening of Bonnie Bennett. She was being hugged and smothered with affection. There were flowers, balloons, and cards surrounding her.

Elena and Caroline would not let the girl breathe despite all of that.

_Something's **not** right at all._

Damon glared at the girl in the bed with nothing but suspicion. She finally looked his way.

He furrowed his brows.

She gave a slow smirk.

* * *

_In another dimension..._

_"_Ready witchy?" Damon cried out to her.

She appeared beside him, grinning, "Yup."

"Remember the deal?"

She rolled her eyes, "You accompany me to Whitmore so we can talk to Professor Shane."

"And?"

"...and I'll be your 'date' for tonight when Elena comes over."

"Perfect. Today's going to be a good day, Sabrina."

"It better or I'm setting you on fire."

"Alright, but I'll have you know I'm a bit of a masochist."

"Not surprised."

"Don't bring up the Damon from your dimension. It's kinda depressing that you're not the only you in this universe."

She rolled her eyes, "Said in the words of a narcissist."

He gave her a stunning smirk before opening the car door for her. She looked up at him then as he gestured to the passenger seat with his head and giving her a look that said, "Well?"

Bonnie sat down and turned to have Damon already turning the ignition to start the car. The ghost giggled to herself, turning to look Damon in his brilliant, powder blue eyes, "When I left my dimension, you and Elena were going to accompany me to visit Whitmore and see Professor Shane."

"Except Elena's not in the picture, so~" Damon drove off, "I guess we're picking up where you left off."

Bonnie just didn't know if she was better off here or back home.

* * *

**A/N:** I apologize for the wait. TVD left me feeling bitter after this episode I revamped for this fic. And when I feel bitter about any sort of fandom I actively participate in (whether I love to hate-watch it or not), I don't feel inspired to write fics for it. Unfortunately. But then that hug happened and things happened for Bamon and I grew so inspired that I just couldn't stop writing. Anyways-thank you all for the follows and reviews! They motivate me to continue! And I love to see what you all think about this thus far. *smooches.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:**_ **IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AN EIGHTH CHAPTER BECAUSE YOU JUST ADDED THIS TO YOUR ALERTS, THIS IS NOT IT. **__It's still the seventh chapter it's just FF didn't send people alerts about it...so. Yeah. Anyway._

_If you're not sure if you read this chapter or not, last chapter we checked up on what Original Dimension!Damon was doing. This chapter we're with Bonnie and !Damon. There are very minor changes in regards to some dialogue or sentences that have no impact on the plot, but if you want to re-read the chapter anyway go right ahead (and tell me what you think. No pressure)__. Hope yaw enjoy it! _

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TVD characters of L.J. Smith and the CW. That also stands for _Being Human UK. _No copyright infringement was intended.**

* * *

**Ch. 7**

"I'm dreading this. I mean, I appreciate you taking me today instead of our agreed tomorrow but now I just don't know."

The witch climbed out of the vampire's car with a grumpy frown on her face. She looked around the campus, glancing at passing college students with a look of envy. They seemed so normal. She wondered if she did as well. Could they _see_ her? Did she appear fully grounded and solid? How was her face? Her hair?

She chuckled without a lick of humor in it. Her _looks?_ First she had to make sure she could be _seen_ first!

"What's with you, Judgy? It hasn't been a full minute and you already have that sour look on your face," Damon was by her side immediately, looking around as well, his eyes squinting as he did. Probably scoping out his next meal, Bonnie thought.

"Nothing, just," Bonnie let out an inaudible sigh, "realizing how I haven't thought about going to college and just-well. My future really. Lately everything has been a current thing for me. Like, what do I do _now_?"

She paused before shaking her head like what she said was entirely pointless, "Not like I can go to college here _anyway_. I'm sure there's no rush for a ghost on any college's roster if I'm stuck in this dimension."

Damon furrowed his brows before looking down to regard her, "Oh stop with the pity conducting. If I can go to college, you can go to college, Casper. "

"_You,_" She raised a brow, smirking despite herself, looking him up and down, "went to college?"

"Course I did. Plenty of times. I've always had a thing for sorority girls," he bounced his brows, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"You're disgusting."

"I _know._" He widened his eyes, a dangerous smirk gracing his lips. Bonnie could only roll her eyes before shaking her head and turning from him altogether. He followed silently, giving an appreciative glance to a passing brunette.

* * *

The duo walked into the lecture class as quietly as they could. Finding seats in the middle of the shockingly big and crowded room, Damon and Bonnie sat as the vampire narrowed his eyes at the young professor at the front of the room, "That him?"

"Yeah," Bonnie answered breathlessly. Damon had to look at her then. Her hazel green eyes lit up a little as she regarded the man in an openly appreciative manner. It would have shocked him if he weren't already suspicious of her change in demeanor.

He turned back to the man, "Isn't he too-"

"-hot? _Yeah,_" Bonnie smirked, her eyes not leaving the professor's form.

Damon rolled his eyes, "I didn't take you for the fawning, school-girl type, Bon."

She grinned, finally turning to look at him, "_Aww_. First time around I was joking about you being jealous, but now? _Is _Damon Salvatore jealous that the ever uptight, Bonnie Bennett, doesn't see him the same way she sees the hot professor?"

He pursed his lips and raised his brows, "More like _disappointed._ You live with a stud, that's me-just to let you know, but you're ready to jump a dorkish looking guy like _that?"_

"Like I said," Bonnie leaned in a little closer to his ear, "_Jealous._"

He turned to look at her, slightly squinting before a smug grin appeared on his face, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say the 'ever uptight, Bonnie Bennett,' is flirting with me."

She moved away from him then, sitting, back straight and tense, in her seat, "Wouldn't want that."

He pursed his lips and cocked his head to the side in a way to disagree but didn't say anything else. The murmur of the professor's voice began to resonate more clearly to Bonnie as she adjusted more in her seat, making sure to focus on staying solid. The projector flickered but it didn't seem to disrupt Professor Shane's lecture.

"They're the architects of the supernatural," he continued on about witches. "Responsible for everything that goes bump in the night from ghosts-"

Bonnie breathed in at that as the projector fluttered again.

"-to vampires-"

Damon turned to examine Bonnie, his fist holding up his head in nothing but curiosity.

"-to doppelgangers."

She let out her breath evenly, purposely ignoring Damon's staring.

"Now if you're a skeptic, you would call that a coincidence. But if you're a true believer, you'd know there's no such thing. "

Damon let out a disgruntled huff, "What is this guy? The Witch-Whisperer?"

Bonnie glared at him in warning before shushing him, "Shut up."

Damon looked at her for a second before rolling his eyes and glaring to the front, not bothering to argue with her. Bonnie thought that a good thing.

"He's a creep."

She thought too soon, "_No he's not._ He's probably the _only one_ that can help me get back to my own dimension."

"Why would you _want _to go back? It's nice here. You're living with two _awesome_ brothers-"

"Debatable. "

"You're not held back by the limitations of being a human," Damon continued to count off with his fingers, undeterred by her statement.

Bonnie's mouth went into a straight line.

"And because of _that_ you're _probably_ at your strongest right now," he turned to her with his signature grin and raised brows.

"I don't know about that. As long as my powers are still connected with nature and the spirits...there's _always_ a limitation. Besides, this isn't my home. I've upset the balance of nature here and it's only a matter of time before I start suffering the consequences. "

Damon furrowed his brows before sitting up to turn to her fully. He leaned into her ear, "There's a reason _why_ you said that, Bonnie. Something you need to tell me? Like how you're screwing with that projector down there or...?"

Bonnie turned her head to give him her attention, even if it was a glare. She grew distracted, however, forgetting to answer as his breath tickled her lips. She looked down at his before looking back up to his eyes to find he had done the same thing. He licked his bottom lip before glancing back up to her, making her exhale a nervous breath. She may be a ghost, she may not have a physical heart, but something inside her jumped in anticipation. And that was_ horrifying_.

"Am I interrupting you guys?" An authoritative voice asked curiously at the duo from down below. Bonnie jumped and moved away from Damon, looking straight down at Professor Shane with a guilty expression on her face. She frowned, shaking her head immediately and ultimately feeling embarrassed for being caught doing _anything_ with Damon. She bit her lip, sitting up straight.

"...or is it, maybe, the other way around?" Shane continued, examining the two further.

Damon finally looked down to the man, irked, as Bonnie shook her head again, " Uh, no. Sorry, professor."

The vampire beside her grinned despite his growing irritation for the guy, "Yeah, I was just telling her how much I _love _witches."

The professor stared a moment longer before slowly grinning himself and nodding in agreement, "Yeah, you and me both, brother."

As he went back to regarding the rest of the class, Damon leaned back lazily, glaring harder at the man and ignoring Bonnie's questioning gaze.

* * *

"Ah, I remember you two. I interrupted what looked like it was turning into, what I like to call, a 'lecture make-out session'."

Bonnie bit the inside of her cheek watching Professor Shane gather up his things to head back to his office. She shook her head in the negative, replying, "I assure you, professor, that was _not _going to happen."

"Don't say things you don't _necessarily_ mean, honey," Damon called with a telling smirk, sitting down at the first row of seats in the lecture room. The class was over, and a couple of students were straggling behind but Bonnie, Damon, and Shane eventually became the last bodies in the room.

Bonnie scoffed at her vampire roomie before regarding the professor again, "Don't mind him."

Shane gave her a good-natured grin before shrugging with ease, "It's alright...uh?"

" Bonnie...Bonnie Bennett."

Both men widened their eyes at that for different reasons; Shane for the last name and Damon for her allowing to let this man, she knew little to nothing about, to be fully aware of her connection to the Bennett line. He had to pull teeth while Shane gave her a charming smile? _Seriously?_

"You're a...Bennett? So are you also a-?" Shane started, putting some of his things back down on his desk.

"Witch? Yes."

"And _very_ dead too. Don't forget that other _important_ piece of information too, Casper," Damon added spitefully, earning him a glare from the ghost.

"Dead?" Shane asked, however, taken aback and examining her further, "Like..._dead, _dead?"

She nodded in silence.

The professor walked around her like she was that of a piece of work he wanted to look over, appreciating every fine detail of the finished artwork. Damon didn't like that.

"_Remarkable_," Shane breathed, facing her again, "Are you solid as well?"

He reached out to touch but Bonnie took a step back and Damon instinctively stood to his feet.

"Oh...I guess not...I apologize."

"Don't! I just...no, I am solid. Damon says I feel soft or something but," she regretted admitting that as soon as it left her lips because Shane looked to be accessing her and Damon's relationship all over again, as if he were embarrassed he crossed a line and-ungh! What was she _thinking?_ Telling him that Damon _touched_ her? She could almost _feel_ him smirking at her very form at the slip up.

"I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have tried. Anyway, what do I owe such an honored visit? What's your connection to Sheila Bennett? Have you seen her spirit?" Shane began throwing questions in excitement and ultimately to change the subject.

"She's my grandmother..." Bonnie decided to answer that question instead.

"Wow...I wasn't aware that she had a granddaughter," Shane mused, looking Bonnie over in awe.

"Yeah...I..." she didn't know why but she turned to Damon, and whatever look she gave him, he walked up to her side quietly before looking to the young professor, "Her dad and her grandmother weren't on the best of terms...kind of tried to keep her out of the loop with things."

Bonnie bit her lip and nodded at how ironically _true_ that was, "I...never got the chance to meet her..."

Even that...was technically true.

"Wow...I'm sorry to hear that..." Shane frowned, sympathy found in his patient eyes. "She was a pretty astounding woman. She brought...a little more mystery and wonder to her lectures. I just sound like a fanboy."

Damon nodded in a faux plaintive manner as Bonnie looked up and nudged him with her elbow. Damon shrugged, "What? He does."

Shane grew a little red as Bonnie sighed and regarded the professor to alleviate the awkwardness, "Don't take it to heart. Damon's kind of an expert on witches-"

"-and poltergeists," the vampire faked a grin. "From experience though. Unfortunately, I don't have a paper to prove it."

The witch shook her head as Shane, sympathizing with the man a little, nodded in agreement, "Experience _is_ generally a better teacher than textbooks anyways."

Before Damon could make an even bigger ass of himself, Bonnie jumped in to ask in a tentative manner, "I was wondering if you had anything of my grandmother's when she passed? Like a grimoire perhaps?"

Shane looked between the two, bemused, before nodding in a slow manner and picking up his things from his desk, yet again, "Sure, you can come with me to my office actually. I'm not sure about her grimoire but...we can check."

* * *

"I pray that your grandmother's stuff is around here somewhere," Professor Shane said regarding the clutter and disarray of his office. He sat his stuff down, immediately going to look for her things as Bonnie and Damon entered the room and looked around. Damon frowned at the mess while Bonnie marveled at proof of Shane's knowledge.

She didn't hear what he was rambling about as far as a Stephen King book was concerned but she turned to him, smiling, "_This_ is amazing. It's all stuff you picked up on your travels?"

The man was kneeling down at a box, looking up to her with a grin, "Yeah, I do this thing-"

He picked up the box and set it on an end table, gesturing her to come over and have a look inside, "-The one man traveling cult that travels to small towns all over the world. It funds my Indiana Jones adventure craving."

Damon internally groaned at the dorkiness of it all, crossing his arms and shaking his head at the professor.

Shane watched Bonnie as she picked up a framed picture of her grandmother and a pregnant Abby. The girl took in a breath as she trailed her fingers over both women. Damon watched as well before furrowing his brows, frowning slightly.

"Have you figured out why you haven't passed over? Why your door hasn't come to take you to the 'other side' yet?" Shane asked her carefully, fiddling with his wedding ring mindlessly.

Bonnie shook her head in the negative, "No...I-I haven't. Um...Is it ok if I can take this? I...don't have anything connected to my family here..."

"Of course, Bonnie. It's not really appropriate for _me_ to keep after what happened. It's just no one came to pick it up." He looked around the room briefly, "Well, you reuniting with your grandmother's possessions wasn't your 'Unfinished business'."

Bonnie looked around too, "'Guess not...say, what do you think my 'Unfinished Business' would be...if you had to guess and you seem familiar with the terminology?"

"I'm not sure...how long have you been...deceased?"

"Not long...less than a month," Bonnie sighed, "How long does it normally take?"

"It's different for every ghost. I haven't met...many, due to the circumstances, but ones I have met grow powerful through the years...depending on what they want out of their afterlife before moving on. Some can take up to a year, others a decade, and rare ones...hundreds."

Bonnie frowned.

"But the rare ones lose a sense of self. Right now, you may still feel a ghost of your fleshly body. A heart, brain, lungs, and what not but as you continue on, you lose that sense. Sometimes...due to the rare ones that stay in this world for over a century or maybe five decades, give or take, they lose their sense of purpose too, and eventually fade away."

Damon squinted towards the professor as Bonnie frowned, a sense of dread coming on, "So the longer I stay here, and I can't get my 'door' to show up again, I run the risk of fading away?"

Shane put his hands in his pockets before he nodded slowly, "But like I said, every ghost is different. The ones that fade away only do so because they don't have anyone to interact with. They're lonely, invisible to the world around them, and all they really have left are those emotions. Vampires feed on life, witches on nature, werewolves on instincts, and then ghosts...energy of any kind. You're an interesting one though."

He took out his hands and went to his desk to take out a sheet of paper. He drew a triangle. At the top he put "ghost", on the remaining points he put "werewolf" and "vampire" respectively. In the center of the triangle he put "witch".

"You're a witch _and_ a ghost. You draw your power from _all _of nature and energy you can find. When I say "energy", I mean like emotions from living people, what they felt and left behind in certain places and even electrical appliances."

Bonnie didn't know Damon was hovering over her as he whispered in her ear, "Like I said, you're at your _strongest_."

Bonnie breathed in, "This...this is a lot to take in."

Shane nodded, noticing the two's proximity in each other, "Right, well be careful."

"Why?"

"Someone as strong as _you?_ The spirits talk, as you should already know. Not to worry you but...you're a powerful threat to the very nature of this world."

Bonnie frowned at that, thinking about her short time alone against her talking radio_._

_You're upsetting the balance of nature in this world, Bonnie Bennett!_

The lights in the room began to flicker, alarming the men.

"What happens...if a ghost gets greedy?"

"What do you mean?" Shane furrowed his brows, looking at her and the lights in his office.

"There's a difference between a ghost and a poltergeist. What's that difference?"

"Poltergeists are powerful...but mean. They're normally consumed with a strong emotion and feed off of the living's energy, whether it's their fear...or the poltergeist's influence on them. Reports show that people feel either drained, depressed, or just generally upset about anything due to the presence of that poltergeist. They're strong enough to cause harm to people and levitate and control objects. They're loud and generally angry souls."

"They have 'Unfinished Business' too, right?"

"Every ghost does. It's never really clear for a poltergeist. Their's might be to cause mayhem and destruction...or death."

"Who stops them?"

Shane contemplated for a second before answering, "I...have a theory. There's a group of ghosts...kind of like vigilantes of the spirit realm that want to play the role of angels. They're just not that strong enough though. They sort of team up with the spirits connected to witches and witchcraft to keep balance to the world. They can't get to every bad ghost here but...if you're infamous enough-you have their attention."

Bonnie began to wring her hands, causing the blinds of his windows to open and close anxiously , "I...I see."

"Bonnie," Damon reached for her, to make her aware of her nerves but his hand passed right through her.

She frowned as Shane furrowed his brows, "She...disappeared. "

Damon opened his mouth to telll him otherwise but then Bonnie's breath hitched as she whispered, "Oh God...what the _hell_ have I gotten myself _into?"_

The furniture in the room began to shake as Bonnie started float-pacing the professor's room, "So _that's _why I'm more emotional in this world? Because I _feed_ off of _any_ type of energy?"

"I don't think feeding is _that _bad. Gotta get your ghostly vitamins _somehow_. And besides, every supernatural is extremely susceptible to their emotions. Comes with the territory," Damon tried to coax, raising his hands up to regard her. The professor's eyes widened as he mouthed, "_She's _doing this_?_"

Damon flinched in annoyance at him as he continued watching Bonnie, "But like all of us, you're going to have to _manage_ your feelings. "

Bonnie raised her hands in exasperation, causing the things in her Gram's box to fly up into the air like a water geyser, "But I royally screwed up _everything, _Damon! My being here altered this world's already planned out version of me. I probably committed magical suicide back in my dimension and now...I have the Ghost SWAT team after me?"

"Wait..._what?"_

_"_I called you back home earlier today because the spirits of this world wants to take me to the other side, killing me here and at home. They told me through the radio," she shook her head, lights flickering about her, "and apparently the spirits of my dimension are teaming up with them-"

Damon dropped his hands and regarded her further, "You know...that's kind of bad ass when you think about it. They need a _team_ of spirits to handle you."

Bonnie gave him a disapproving face as a light finally gave out.

Shane jumped as his papers flew about the room, "I can teach her to control this. I've been around, seen many things, know much more. I can help her control it a different way. Her connection with nature will stay in tact but she won't need the spirits' help with it. It's like a tracking device and whatever is upsetting her this much will know where she is and-"

"-try to take me away? To punish me? For just _existing_ here?" Bonnie gulped, hugging herself as the blinds of the windows thwarted at the glass and papers continued flying about. The men's cellphones started to vibrate and ring at the same time. Damon retrieved his to see what was going on when the screen immediately went blank and whined.

"So _that's_ why I could use my magic here? So they could _track _me?" Everything went still and Shane turned to his right to see Bonnie hugging herself, biting her bottom lip. She was shaking, looking completely strained as she took even, unnecessary breaths.

Damon slowly put his phone away, keeping his eyes on Bonnie.

She looked up to him before turning to the professor, "And you can help me?"

Shane nodded carefully, "I know I can. Only...only if you're up for it."

She mirrored his geture, "Fine. I'm in. I can't afford to die. Not the way they want me to."

This time, both men lost sight of her.

* * *

"Where have you been?"

Damon went straight to the liquor dresser to pour himself a drink. He _definitely_ needed one. Stefan followed him, grabbing his wrist to stop him, "Where's Bonnie?"

"Good question brother. Took her to college, she got overwhelmed and then she _poof_. Disappeared."

"Well you're late. Elena's already here."

Damon groaned, snatching his wrist free to down his drink. He wiped his lips, glaring to his younger brother, "_My bad_. I was trying to find my partner in crime. I brought her there, I couldn't just leave her behind."

"But you're here now."

"She called me from home. Said she made it back safely," Damon wiped his face as if he were trying to wipe away the worry lines. Stefan raised a brow, "Were you..._worried_ about her?"

Damon glowered before his face changed to that of charm, "And _you_ must be the _lovely _Elena Gilbert! Heard _so _much about you. "

Elena was in the doorway grinning shyly towards the two, "Hi...Damon? Right? The brother? Same."

Damon bounced his brows towards his brother in a knowing grin, "You spoke of me. Probably to say how much more of a bad ass I am than you are and how you wished you could be me."

Stefan rolled his eyes and nudged him roughly in his side. Damon raised his drink to her, listening to hear any signs of a distressed ghostly witch. There were none.

Elena shifted on her feet, "I...uh brought a friend over too. Caroline-"

Damon winced but forced a grin. He cut his eyes towards his brother who only shrugged apologetically.

"...is everything alright?"

"_Peachy._ Can't wait to meet her." _And Bonnie better hurry up and show her-_

Realization slowly crept in.

"_Shit._" He breathed before looking to the ceiling in agitation.

Elena furrowed her brows, letting out a shocked breath, "Um...?"

Damon sat his glass down and patted Stefan's shoulder as he left the room, "I'll be back after I do something-upstairs-show 'em around in the meantime. "

"I already did while you were out being late."

"Do it again!" Damon was up the stairs and around the corner to burst through the witch's bedroom door. She was on her bed, tracing the framed picture from earlier with a sad longing. She didn't even jump when he barged in.

"Witch-"

"Vampire."

"I know you're trying to cut ties from your magic due to the spirit police but can you risk that for me and stay true to your end of the bargain? Elena brought Caroline over and I can't-"

"One, no. I'm sorry, Damon. I know we had a deal but it's just too risky to use magic when I'm at odds with the other side. Two, you're going to have to deal with Caroline and that guilt of yours sooner or later."

"Who said _anything_ about _me_ being guilty for what I did to Blondie?"

"Then why are you up here?"

"I need you."

Bonnie took in a breath and sighed, "No you don't. You need me as a distraction from Elena's face and Caroline being afraid of you and not knowing why. And if I'm by your side to help you stay distracted you'll never be able to face them seriously."

Damon glared at her as she set the picture down and rummaged through Gram's other belongings she managed to take back with her, "You're just another witch with her annoying consequences."

"Better me than them. They'd rather burn you. I would know...I tried to do that to you back in my dimension...twice."

Damon groaned, "Why can't you just be there as moral support? Like we agreed?"

Bonnie appeared in front of him instantly, regarding him, "Because you made a choice to hurt, Caroline. To not trust Elena. You're being challenged. And you don't like that. So what do you do? Find a distraction. Out of sight, out of mind. If I was there you'd _only _pay attention to me, avoiding Elena and Caroline as _much _as you can. Well...I won't help you there and risk having the 'spirit police' bust my ass while we're eating pasta. I don't even know if I can even fake eat as a ghost."

Damon frowned and Bonnie went back to her bed, "You're over a hundred years old, Damon. Face them."

He wanted to retort but she flicked her wrist and pushed him out of her room, closing the door behind him. He tried getting back in but the door wouldn't budge. It was as if it were nothing but a decoration affixed to the wall as a prop.

* * *

It was incredibly awkward dining with the girl who shared the face of their ex, and another girl that he hurt to spite the witch.

Stefan began to brood as he picked at his food and Elena tried but failed to engage everyone in small talk, hopefully getting to some easygoing conversation. Caroline was a little more receptive than the brothers, but she would occasionally look to the dark haired man in fear and the brunette man in longing.

_Awk-ward_.

"I can _not _believe Mr. Tanner let you on the team! Tyler must be _seething_." Caroline tried excitedly.

"Good on you, brother. Finally having a little fun. Taking a _risk,_ going on the football team," Damon swirled his drink, not at all being sincere. He was still a bit pissed that Bonnie bailed on him. But he couldn't _completely_ fault her. She had a point. If she uses a lot of magic, which it might be a lot to actually be solid enough for the living to see her, then the spirits on the other side will take advantage of the situation and...kill her? Or seal the deal on her death? He didn't know.

But here he was, feeling like a little ass when Elena frowned at him and Caroline narrowed her eyes.

"Well, _we're _proud of Stefan. I don't know if Elena will be able to keep up on the cheerleading squad. It's been kinda hard for her since she missed summer camp."

_Ungh_. Why was he hanging with _teenagers_ and their _teenager-y_ problems?

"Damon's proud, he's just grumpy our third housemate couldn't make it to dinner with us," Stefan replied as Elena took a drink of her water at Caroline mentioning her struggle with cheerleading.

Damon slit his eyes at Stefan as the girls turned to him in curiosity.

"There's another one of you?" Caroline asked, thinking about a third hot mysterious man in their wake.

The brothers, however, couldn't help but think as far as another supernatural amongst the girls.

Elena grinned, "Yeah, you only said there was a third roommate. A girl. But you won't tell me much more about her."

Damon looked to Stefan who only gave him the message, through his eyes, that Bonnie prohibited him from saying too much.

"It's a _girl_?" Caroline asked in disappointment. Elena grinned at her best friend and shook her head.

Caroline looked thoughtful before turning to the dark haired man, "Is she your girlfriend or something?"

Elena frowned, "She doesn't _have _to be. What makes you say that, Care?"

"Stefan said that he was grumpy because she wasn't here with us. Or with him. Iunno. When I hear a girl living with guys, she _must_ have the hots for at _least _one of them."

Caroline, brash and unapologetic.

Stefan made to deny it but Damon beat him to the punch, "No. She's not my girlfriend and no she's not interested in either one of us."

The room grew quiet before Caroline spoke up again, "...she likes...girls?"

Damon sighed impatiently, "Contrary to popular belief, _Blondie_, men and women _can_ live together platonically. If anything, I wouldn't be surprised if she couldn't stand my guts half of the time...but..."

He shrugged to himself, confessing almost quietly, "I need a friend like that, I guess. Doesn't put up with my shit but...cares enough to not _completely_ write me off."

The room fell silent as Damon took another swig of his drink, "So yeah. Elena. You don't seem like the cheerleading type. What's up with that?"

Damon ignored Stefan's knowing grin.

* * *

"Thanks for having us. I'll see you in class tomorrow?" Elena asked Stefan, grinning up at him as he nodded, returning her expression. Caroline was by the car, waiting for her best friend as she texted away on her cell phone. Elena looked to her and then back to Stefan, "Sorry about her. She can be-"

"-funny. And yeah. You'll see me tomorrow."

Elena nodded, pulling a strand of her pin straight hair back behind her ear. She kissed him on the cheek before waving goodbye to him and going back to her friend to leave the grounds. Damon was behind him immediately, arms crossed, "She's not so bad. Better than Katherine as far as the humanity thing is concerned."

"But?" Stefan closed the front door as the two headed to the living room.

Damon shrugged, "She has _her_ face. It's gonna take more than a nice dinner chat to be team little bro and doppelganger."

Stefan nodded with pursed lips and raised brows, "Fair enough. What you said, about Bonnie though-"

Damon shrugged again, "It was nothing-"

"Maybe. But I appreciate it."

Bonnie appeared before them, nestled in the couch with her legs tucked beneath her. She looked up at Damon, a glint in her eye, "It...was touching...even though I flaked on you."

Damon shrugged, plopping down beside her, arm draped along the headrest of the couch. Stefan sat on her other side as they looked mindlessly at the unlit fireplace.

"You think we should get a tv?" Damon asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I'm not a huge fan of tvs," Stefan admitted, letting that be answer enough.

"Under different circumstances, sure. But after having the stereo talk to me, I don't think I'd be prepared for the local news lady reporting on my future capture."

"You two are going to fill me in, right?" Stefan simply replied with question, looking to them with furrowed brows.

Bonnie nodded but nudged them both with her shoulders, "But right now you two are going to have to prepare me for your big night tomorrow."

Damon smirked, "Oh yeah. Think you're up for it, Judgy?"

She smirked back, raising her chin, "I'm a wanted woman on the other side. I think I'm bad ass enough."

* * *

_In the original dimension..._

She popped a skittle in her mouth as she watched the dark haired vampire with a raised brow and taunting smirk. He was in the corner of the room, seated in a slouched manner as he watched her back.

"You've been wanting to say something since everyone left about an hour ago. What's up?"

Damon sat up, glaring at the girl in the hospital bed, "I like to cut to the chase."

"You're in luck. So do I," she threw another skittle in her mouth.

"You're not Bonnie."

"I'm not."

"Who are you then?"

She leaned back, "I'm just a guy with some unfinished business to attend to."

The vampire felt dread start to seep in.

Bonnie's face grinned wickedly at him, "Did you _really_ think you all could get rid of me _that_ easily?"

"Connor..." blue eyes shifted at the realization that seemed to make him feel colder than he already was.

Emerald eyes responded to the name naturally, as Bonnie's mouth curved down into a straight line and her brows furrowed into contempt, "Bingo, _vampire._ Bing-o."

* * *

**A/N:** What do you all think? We're starting to get into the _meat_ of things and needless to say, I'm _pretty _excited. Hope you enjoyed this update! I appreciated and love _every _fav, follow, and review you guys have given me thus far. It's my motivation and it encourages me to keep going. Hope to hear what you all thought of this one! Until next time! *Smooches.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I changed the rating to T...until I have to change it back to M. Because FF is weird about rating. But...it'll be changed back to M. Sometime. Soon. Hm.**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own the TVD characters of L.J. Smith and the CW. That also stands for ****_Being Human UK. _****No copyright infringement was intended.**

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**Ch. 8**

Atticus Shane was running a bit late. It wasn't everyday he was thrown into any town's events to do this or that on the regular. He supposed that sort of thing just came with the price of living in a small town to be physically close to a witch that he suspected was the descendant of the powerful Qetsiyah. As long as he got Bonnie Bennett, all the events of every small town ever would be worth it. Practice pageant day or not.

"Hey."

He froze, unsure of the voice before turning to see the witch herself. She was leaning against the doorframe to his office with crossed arms, her hair pulled into a ponytail with her bangs sweeping to the left side of her face. She wore a white tank top with jeans and moss green Converses. He was shocked to see her standing and well.

She also seemed to be in a bad mood, her eyes narrowing with contempt.

"Bonnie? Wow...I heard you suffered from a coma. Are you well?"

"I'm alive. That's well enough," she pushed herself from the frame of the door. She didn't take her eyes off of him as she approached the man. There was so much intensity in her eyes, it made him feel intimidated. He couldn't help but to feel that her gaze was similar to that of someone else.

"I suppose being alive is all you need to be well enough," he managed to say, looking down at her.

"What happened to Connor?"

Connor?

"Uh...he's-"

"Dead. Did you know that?"

His mouth dropped before answering, "I-I didn't."

"You're lying," Her eyes narrowed further before she stepped away, "You practically sent me to my demise, Atticus."

"What?"

"But you don't care. Do you? It's not you that died and there's a new hunter you can manipulate now anyway."

"Bonnie, I didn't send you to your-" he stopped himself before breathing out in awe, _"Connor?"_

He could see the man's grin reflected off the girl's face, "That's right. You didn't rid of me yet, Professor."

"How...what..."

"I got some help on the other side. If it weren't for me and the girl's 'grams', your little witch would have died," he plopped the body in Shane's desk chair, looking up at him before slouching forward to clasp the witch's hands between the girl's legs, "And everything you worked hard on would have been wasted."

Shane swallowed, "Don't do anything to Bonnie's body."

"Why would I? I need this body to carry out some unfinished business I need to attend to."

Shane walked up closer to him, frowning, "And what's that?"

A brow rose, "None of your concern. I'll make a deal with you though, and since you can't necessarily replace a witch so easily, I'm sure you'll be able to hold your end of the bargain."

Shane cursed inwardly, "Fine. What are your demands?"

"I'll play spy on the inside and make sure the vampire brothers stay off of you."

"Who? Damon and Stefan?"

Hazil green eyes rolled to the ceiling, "They're your biggest threat. And the Original you didn't tell me about. _And_ that Gilbert girl that killed me."

Shane took in a breath.

"You can even try to teach me magic. Keep whatever the hell sort of plan you're planning in effect."

"The catch?"

"Stay out of my way, I train Jeremy, and you tell me more about the hunter's mark and the Five."

"That's it?" That seemed too easy to be true.

"That's all you can give me," he stood to his feet, ready to leave the office. That felt like more of an insult than anything else.

"What if I don't?"

Connor stopped before turning back to regard Shane.

"What if I don't keep the conditions?"

"I'll let the spirits take this girl and do what they wish with her."

* * *

Damon couldn't stop pacing the floor in agitation. He was on his fourth glass of friendly liquor and he wasn't feeling any "better" but more pressed for time and...an _explanation. _After finding out about Connor, he heard Bonnie's father making his entrance before he had to disappear altogether. Next thing he knows, the hospital released the ex-hunter, along with Bonnie's person, and was nowhere to be found. How could _Connor_ be in Bonnie's _body?_ How is that even _possible?_ Why wouldn't that dick just _go away_?

Fuck, this was a mess.

_"It was possible because I did it."_

Damon turned to face a stoic Sheila Bennett who had her hands clasped in front of her person. She stared at Damon, untrusting, while the vampire gaped at her. He took a step towards her, cocking his head to the side in disbelief. He furrowed his brows incredulously with a newfound sort of anger coloring his tone, "You did _what_?"

She raised her chin not deterred by his attitude, "_I helped Connor get into Bonnie's body."_

The man was in front of her in less than a second, "You do realize he has it out for us don't you?"

She narrowed her eyes, the dark magic's veins worming about under her ghostly skin, "_I don't care_."

Damon cursed, turning from her altogether to glare furiously at the fireplace in the room. He turned back to her, a bit surprised she didn't disappear from him. She seemed perfectly reserved, looking only at him with firm, set eyes and, of course, suspicion.

"I thought we were a _team_, Bennett."

"_Don't mistake me for my granddaughter, vampire. We all know what happens when we do."_

_"_Like _what?_ Are you saying _we're_ the reason Bonnie fell into a coma and her soul is fuck-knows-where? Because it _sounds_ like you are."

She stepped forward and the fire in the fireplace erupted to life, "_That's __**exactly**__ what I'm saying."_

Damon's mouth was that of a tight line as he stared down with disdain for the woman. Sheila didn't seem bothered by that at all as she allowed the fire to settle down. Her stare hard and stern, she addressed him, "_But don't confuse me. I did it because I had no other choice. If I didn't intervene, Bonnie would have died."_

The look of confusion marring the vampire's face prompted the ghost of Sheila to continue, _"They would have possessed Rudy. They would of had him kill her."_

"So you help one of our enemies jump into her body to control it in the meantime? Nice one, Sheila."

"_I had no other choice._" She simply answered, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes you did. It's just your choice is going to have us killed."

She chuckled with no humor, "_Coming from the man that snapped Abby's neck_."

"Elena _or Bonnie_ would have been _killed_."

"_And look where we are now. If you're trying to guilt me for what I had to do, you'll only be disappointed._"

The dark haired man threw his hands in the air in exasperation. This day was already becoming a pain in the ass.

Sheila began to move then, watching the vampire with so much distrust she might as well just yell it to the heavens, "_I also did it because I'm not sure how much you're really willing to get my granddaughter back._"

_More than you'll ever know, _Damon thought, conflicted. He kept his eyes leveled with Sheila's, as hers widened quite a bit, "_Is that so?"_

_What?_

She tilted her head at that, "_I can hear your thoughts._"

Damon felt his throat tighten, "How?"

"_You're emotionally vulnerable. It allows your mind to be more open for us._"

"You still have doubts where my loyalties lie then?" He challenged, going to his liquor table to pour another drink. Far off, he heard a door open and close. That was probably Stefan. He hadn't answered his calls all day. Even then, he was also missing for the greater part of it. He'll have a word with him later.

"_Of course. Especially at the current state of events_," with that, she disappeared.

Witches and their cryptic riddle of talking.

He downed his drink and managed to catch Stefan before he left, wondering if he heard him talking to himself...technically, "Where have you been?"

"Oh you know, out."

The eldest Salvatore noticed the younger Salvatore's bag of belongings as he made to leave out the door. Squinting his eyes, Damon questioned him further, "Where are you going?"

"Out."

"_O-kay_. I see Shady Stefan's back."

His younger brother pulled in his lips before he turned to face him slowly, annoyed already with the exchange. Damon took the opportunity to walk over to him, "Please don't tell me you're still working with Klaus."

"Obviously you haven't heard...Elena and I broke up."

That made Damon pause as his mouth opened in shock. He looked at his brother longer before giving a simple, "Oh..."

In turn, Stefan raised his head in feigned indifference.

"Uh-got it. I'll be quick then," Damon started, shaking his head in slight disbelief, "So, apparently, if you wanna find the cure we have to find a vampire hunter that has killed enough vampires to reveal the map that is their hunter's mark."

Stefan nodded, looking elsewhere before looking back at him with a quiet impatience.

"Unless you want Jeremy to go all Connor two-point-oh, I suggest we find a different hunter," Damon hesitated, not sure if he wanted to tell his brother about the "Bonnie" issue too. He felt something cold and threatening prick the back of his neck at the thought. He decided against it.

"Ok. And?"

Damon shook his head, "And I was going to ask Professor Shane but it turns out he's even shadier than you are. Matt Donovan told me while we were all celebrating the return of the...witch...that he connected Shane and the pastor through phone records. Turns out the two were very _chatty_ on the day that the Pastor blew up the Council."

"Ahh. So you're going to confront Shane, threaten him, possibly even kill him-that sort of thing?"

Damon shrugged easily like that was the most logical thing _to _do but then replied with a smirk, "Nah, unless he tells me what he's up to."

With that said, he patted his brother on the shoulder, "So, what do you say? Wanna tag team this?"

"Nah. I'll say you're on your own." Stefan forced a grin before turning back to exit. Damon stopped him quickly, "Or we can just blow it off. Go get drunk, brother bond-"

Stefan interrupted with a humorless laugh, "Let's not pretend like this isn't the best day of your life."

Damon furrowed his brows as his brother gave him a pat to his shoulder and left. All Damon could think about was what Sheila said and how he couldn't _completely _agree with his brother's last words.

* * *

"Having some trouble with the keys?"

Damon watched as Bonnie's shoulders tensed and her body turned to face him. He expected her eyes that he knew so well to glare at him in annoyance but instead he got the unadulterated hatred of a man killed and wanting something done about it. It was a little unnerving to say the least.

Connor crossed Bonnie's arms, "Aren't you supposed to be trailing the tail end of that Gilbert girl that killed me and buried me in an unmarked grave? Why are you at the witch's house?"

"Because you're not the witch. You're an ex-hunter who tried to kill us. Let's just say I'm a little concerned."

"Not for the witch. Just yourselves," he turned back to the door thinking, "can't say I'm surprised though."

Damon squinted at him, "How would you know?"

Connor tapped the temple of Bonnie's head, refusing to turn back to address him, "Just because I'm in control of this body, doesn't mean the brain is mine from the start. It's still the girl's. I just have access to her memories, fears, everything. It's tricky to have a handle on it but, eh, I was able to make Elena want to kill herself, it shouldn't be too hard to tap into a memory or two in the witch's mind."

A growl erupted from Damon, making Connor chuckle, "Chill, vampire. I'm not here to kill the girl. I made a deal with the girl's grandmother not to bring harm to her."

"And what deal is that?"

"That's confidential." He opened the door to Bonnie's house.

Damon had Connor by the neck, pinned against the wall next to Bonnie's door, "Well that's too bad. You're in the witch's body, you're not allowed to keep shit from us."

Connor managed to chuckle, tapping Bonnie's temple again, "I forgot...to mention. I have... access ...to Bonnie's memories. That also means...I can _make_ memories for her to remember...when she comes back."

Damon paused.

Connor smirked, "Don't...think she would be pleased...to remember _this_."

The vampire let go immediately, glowering towards the man in her body as he coughed for air and rubbed Bonnie's neck. Great. Just _fucking _great.

Connor regarded the man in front of him before standing up straight and raising a brow, "Looks like you hold this girl in high regard. Well. Let's add on to the list of things you can't do. Like Atticus Shane, you can't kill him."

"Why not." It wasn't a question.

"You want Bonnie back. You need magic. Strong amounts of it. You're not too popular with witches so, I'm your best bet, and the professor is the only _willing _one who can help me access it."

Damon groaned, exasperated but said nothing else.

Connor watched him intently before grinning, walking inside Bonnie's home before shutting the door.

* * *

"Where's Professor Shane?" Damon crossed his arms with impatience, looking to Elena expectantly. It was the "big" Miss Mystic Falls Pageant today. He had came because he was aware of how creepy and shady the professor really was and he figured maybe the man had a thing for crowds of people to perform more massacre related activities.

Upon arriving, he heard the girls discuss whether or not the Pastor's daughter should wear the red or blue dress. He said red, of course. Girl should be daring. He noticed Elena though. She seemed nervous...or even _shy_ to see him as she brushed an invisble strand of hair from her face. Caroline blocked his view as she walked up to him with raised brows but an annoyed grin, answering his question, "Check the judge's table."

She attempted to close the door in his face but Damon stopped it with his hand, opening the door to regard April, "The red one, definitely."

Caroline crossed her arms impatiently, "We _already_ agreed that the red dress was a little bit too showy."

Damon looked between the bashful Elena and irritated Caroline before throwing his hands up slightly in indignation, "It's a _pageant. _That's the _point_."

"Did you _win_ Miss Mystic last year?" She paused for him to answer, which was a narrowed glare, before she continued, "No? I didn't think so."

"Elena didn't win last year either. She wore blue," he raised his eyebrows towards her in regard to the situation; she still hasn't said a thing but she did, however, hitched her breath an octave. That was interesting. It made him swallow excess saliva as he kept his eyes on her.

"No one cares what you think," Caroline argued. April frowned, immediately disagreeing, "I care!"

"See? April cares. Red, right Elena?"

Everyone turned to the brunnette in anticipation as the doe eyed girl only stared back at Damon. She turned to April, nodding, "The red _is_ pretty."

The blond vampire's countenance fell in confusion as Damon's grinned in satisfaction, "And my work here is done."

He turned to walk out of the room and down the stairs, hearing Caroline's questioning and ultimately Elena come after him. His absent heart tightened as he turned to face her once she called after him. It tightened more when she let out a sigh, looking down before looking back up at him again. She wanted to talk. And though they weren't on the best of terms as of late and he had been preoccupied with Bonnie, she still had a hold on him. All he could think was Sheila's concern on how willing he would help get Bonnie back with the current state of events. Those events being the break up of his little brother's "epic love" and his biggest chance with that love himself.

He nodded up at Elena, "Stefan told me about the break up."

She descended the stairs to get closer to him. She broke eye contact while he kept his on her frame, "I would say I'm sorry...but I'm not."

She asked what Stefan said about it. He didn't want to talk about it so he gave her a classic "Damon" response. She asked him if he knew why the breakup happened and he honestly told her he didn't but figured it had something to do with her being weird.

"You." She replied quietly.

_You._

He felt the world become still.

"Damon Salvatore, seems like we travel the same circuit," Shane appeared with a forced grin.

Damon winced, turning to him, "Professor Shane...just the guy I wanted to see."

"And...Bonnie?" Elena breathed, confused.

Bonnie's person appeared in a little, lace, black dress with her hair pulled into a neat ponytail and her bangs covering her forehead, making her appear a bit younger and edgier than usual. A slow grin graced her face but it didn't reach her calculating eyes as she regarded Elena. Olive green eyes then looked to Damon with a knowing smirk before they looked to Shane, "Thanks, I'll try looking for him outside. I'll talk to you later."

"Looking for who?" Damon asked, glaring at Connor with distrust.

"Jeremy. Have you seen him, Elena? He's apart of this thing and I haven't seen him anywhere." Connor looked to the vampire, raising Bonnie's brows just like they knew her for doing. He talked a good Bonnie game too, Damon had to admit.

Elena shook her head, frowning, "No...he's not here? "

"No. No one's seen him. I wanted to talk to him."

"About what?" The dark haired man crossed his arms, sizing Bonnie's person, chastising himself for giving an appreciative glance over the witch's body despite the person who had control over it noticing.

Connor chuckled deeply, "Something that doesn't concern you. As far as you know, I might just pull an Elena and confess my feelings to him."

With that said, Connor turned from them all to walk outside, leaving Elena confused, Damon annoyed, and Shane antsy.

* * *

"Are you accusing me of a mass murder, in the _middle_ of a _high school pageant_?"

Damon raised his brows in a taunting manner towards the professor, "That and what's going on between you and Bonnie since we're on the topic of you being shady."

Shane scoffed with a shake of his head, "I'm helping her get her magic back."

"Her or the ex-hunter?"

The young professor just looked at him.

"I'm sure you know that that's not Bonnie. And I have reason to believe you and Connor had a mutual thing going on without us knowing _before_ any of this happened."

"Either way, I'm just helping her get her magic back." Shane almost hissed, though he was a bit wary of the predator that stood before him.

"Is everything alright?"

Both men turned to look at Bonnie's person stand before them with a raised brow and a glass of sparkling cider in hand. Connor took a sip of his drink, waiting for an explanation that wasn't coming, "The rest of the judges are looking for you, Atticus."

Shane regarded him before nodding and leaving the vampire and ex-Hunter alone.

"Damon."

"Connor."

He put a slender finger to Bonnie's lips to silence him, smirking, before looking over his shoulder, "Where's your brother?"

"Depends. Why are you asking and what's your thing with Professor Shady?"

"He's been helping me with the magic thing," Connor shrugged apathetically, "Say, Jeremy's not here either."

"And?"

Connor rolled Bonnie's eyes, "There's a cure, right? The Mark shows a map to that cure. Stefan and Elena aren't together anymore-"

"Where'd you hear that from?"

"The blond friend. Now. Stefan's not here, Jeremy's not present either, Elena is into you for some reason which means...?" Connor turned to face Damon, prompting him to answer.

"Are you saying my brother has Jeremy?"

"Probably has him out killing vampires. The more he kills, the more the mark grows which means the closer we are to the cure and Elena being human and back to her senses. Because she needs to be fixed if she chooses _you_ over _Stefan_."

Damon's jaw ticked.

Bonnie's head tilted to the side, "Oh...was that harsh? My bad, man. I'm only speaking the obvious. So. If I were your brother, desperately trying to get Elena back by using her kid brother to kill vampires, where would I be?"

Damon glowered, backing away from the ex-Hunter. He then shook his head and turned from him altogether. It wasn't until he got a couple of feet between them when he heard a deep chuckle let loose from Bonnie's person.

* * *

_"Jeremy's running late."_

Damon made a face of disapproval once he heard Matt utter those words beneath his breath to April. She didn't seem to care as a big grin graced her face before she shrugged it off. Damon then turned to steal glances of Elena.

She was digging through her purse to look for her cell phone, probably to call Jer. She felt his eyes and looked back at him. Giving him a tentative grin, she began looking between him and the girls on the dance floor. She then looked away, finding her phone and turning from the dance to give her brother a call. Damon began to walk over to her with Caroline beating him to the punch, "_What_ is going on, why the last minute escort change? _Where's Jeremy?"_

"I don't know, I'm calling him right now," Elena started with a sigh. "_Ungh_, he's not picking up."

"Relax, do the math. I'm sure he's off being emo, sneaking drinks from the bar to drown his teenage angst," Damon muttered, refusing to acknowledge the little voice in his head telling him that Connor might just be right about his brother being with Jeremy.

"Matt told me that Jer's been having nightmares about killing vampires and he's hiding it from me," The doe eyed girl confessed, the look of concern etching every pore of her face.

Damon shrugged, "Again, I'm sure he's fine."

"I don't know, I have a bad feeling about this," the brunnette pressed.

The dark haired man rolled his eyes, "If I'm not worried, you shouldn't be worried. Let it go."

Elena stared at him before sighing in relief once Damon complied and said he'd go look for him. Damon left the girls, flinching when he caught Caroline pretty much bad mouthing him about him never being right and Elena's feelings for him making her want to barf. Caroline, ever brash and relentless.

Upon entering the Lockwood residence, he called his brother, "Please don't tell me you brought Jeremy into the world of crazy."

"I had no other choice," Stefan replied easily, making Damon swallow in disapproval, "Elena needs the cure."

"_Right_, so you can turn her back to the girl that's still in love with you," the dark haired vampire accused calmly before making a face. It was one thing that Connor was able to tease his insecurities. It was another that the ex-hunter ended up being right about them. He cursed himself, internally, for taking the bait and allowing the man to get under his skin. Maybe it was because he said it behind Bonnie's face and for whatever reason, Damon _did_ hold the witch in high regard as far as opinions went.

"Look, I get why you wouldn't want to believe it, Damon, but she isn't herself anymore," Stefan relented, just as calm.

"'Course you would think that. Leave it alone, Stefan," Damon said, hearing Jeremy's breathing in the background and ultimately Stefan disconnecting the call.

He groaned, exasperated, before turning to head back outside, catching the shady Professor sitting and conversing with Hayley, the wolf girl wonder, with so much familiarity. He squinted his eyes in suspicion at the scene. Great, another person not to trust.

Tyler walked nearby, making Damon walk over to address him, "Hey. Know anything about that? "

He gestured to the two as Tyler shrugged, "Nope. What? Paranoid much?"

"The Pastor blew up the council, a Hunter came in and wrecked havoc, and _this_ guy knows _everything_ about everything. Yeah, I'm paranoid much."

With that, Tyler swallowed.

* * *

Connor huffed, giving up on calling Jeremy for the um-tenth time. He crossed his arms as he walked the clean cut grass in Bonnie's flats, because he'll be damned to try and walk in heels. Plus, it was a lot more logical to be in shoes that made running and jumping a lot easier than heels when you're surrounded by vampires. He had to admit, he was shocked the witch was affiliated with so many of them and that one, in particular, wouldn't leave her alone.

But he learned that if you mentioned that Gilbert girl, he backed off. Something he noted right away.

Where could Jeremy be? He hoped the kid didn't get killed already, but he was pretty sure the one called, "Stefan", wouldn't bring harm to him. Damon on the other hand? He wasn't so sure.

He felt obligated to help Jeremy. The kid was probably out looking for more vamps to kill (if he hadn't already died) but just because he had all the strength and will in the world to kill off vampires, it didn't mean he had the skill.

"Bonnie?"

The girl's innards reacted to the name naturally, making the ex-Hunter turn to face...was it Matt? Yeah...one of the kids he held hostage at the restaurant not too long ago.

"How are you? You're ok to be out for this event?"

Connor nodded, "Yeah. I'm starting to feel a little lightheaded though. I've been looking for Jer all day."

"Yeah, everyone's been wondering where he went off to."

Connor nodded, looking around as he did, "Hope he's ok."

"...me too. I'm sure he is though, Bonnie. Don't worry-"

"There he is! I'm sorry Matt, I'll see you later, ok?" He left him, maneuvering around people to get to Jeremy and April. He noticed the kid's eyes looking only at Elena. He recognized that stare. It was the gaze he used to wear before he went out into the world everyday when looking in a mirror. It was like a trance he thought he owned but seeing it on Jeremy it looked...wrong. It made him frown involuntarily before he shook his head and got only closer to the teenager.

This was a good thing that he had this killer gaze towards Elena.

This was good that he didn't have to do much to convince him to do what he wanted Jeremy to do for him.

All he could think now was how much that damned Gilbert girl deserved _whatever_ she had coming to her.

* * *

"Ah, _you_ again," Shane scoffed as he shook his head in disbelief, "I must be the least intimidating mass murderer ever."

_Ha, ha_. Very fucking funny, Damon thought as he rolled his ice blue eyes to the heavens. He stepped right in front of the professor as the man stuffed his pockets with his hands, waiting for the vampire to say whatever he wanted to say.

"Well you still haven't given me a name of another Hunter and it's _kind_ of urgent."

"Listen, there _is no_ other name. Look, at any given moment there are _Five_," Shane emphasized the number by putting up five fingers, "hunters in existence. I have no idea who they are or what their purpose is. Just finding one in a lifetime is next to _impossible_."

He walked around and away from Damon with finality in his step before the vampire sped to block him from exiting the room with a taunting glare. Shane frowned, his heart jumping, scoffing soon after, "Heh, subtle."

"Like you didn't already know."

Shane shrugged, "Ah...well."

"You have five seconds to give me another name or you die," Damon threatened without the darkness in his voice, forcing a grin on his face upon finishing the statement.

"You know it's generally unwise for a vampire to seek out a Hunter but it's because you're only interested in the Mark and where it leads. But here's the thing, even when you complete the Mark, and you get the map, the _thing_ that you're looking for is sealed with a spell that only a certain witch can perform."

"What kind of witch?" Damon asked, narrowing his eyes at the man.

"C'mon, Damon," Shane started, raising his brows. Damon didn't know why but the way the professor said his name like they were on the same team or _should_ be on the same team grated his nerves, making him grab the man's arm and pressing down so hard on a certain soft spot that it made the Professor almost buckle to the ground.

"I _love_ pressure points," Damon proclaimed, raising his brows to mirror Shane's in a mocking sort of manner before he continued, "What kind of witch?"

Shane didn't budge, "You're a big boy, you can figure it out."

Damon groaned internally, realization seeping in, "A Bennett witch."

"Not too many of those laying around, I'm sure you know, " Shane replied, "and due to the current state of events with Bonnie's spirit not being present in her own body, we have a bit of a problem. _None_ of this matters until Bonnie, spirit in or not, is in touch with her magic."

The dark haired vampire squeezed harder.

"You're going to need me to help get the real Bonnie back. I can only do so much with Connor in there but if we have Bonnie, and I help her, you get that _thing._ Besides, even if she _were_ present and the current state of things never happened, who do you think she'd trust, between the two of us, to help her get back in touch with her magic?"

Damon glowered, "Need I remind you, you're trying to convince me _not_ to kill you."

"You won't. You care more about Bonnie than your desire to kill me."

A faux grin graced the vampire's face before he let Shane go. The professor took in a relieved breath, fixing himself, "Now, will you excuse me? I have a scholarship to award."

Shane left, and this time, Damon didn't stop him.

* * *

"The winner of Miss Mystic Falls is...April Young!" Caroline announced as a roar of applause and cheers went about the yard. Elena presented the tiara and sash with a smile before seeing, in her peripheral vision, Jeremy maneuvering through the crowd with a serious gaze her way. By his side was Bonnie who guided him to the mansion, not even sparing her a glance.

"Jeremy?" Elena breathed as she thought, _Bonnie too?_ In the same kind of confusion. She handed Mayor Lockwood the pillow, sash, and tiara that sat on top of it before going after the couple.

* * *

Connor watched Jeremy examine the stake he carved in his sleep, earlier that day, start to cut and carve into the palm of his hand. He crossed his arms against the girl's chest as he leaned against the vanity mirror and dresser set, "Remember what I told you?"

"She's not my sister anymore."

"You're right. She's not. The real Elena would never kill anyone...she's...too compassionate for her own good. And yet...look what she did to the old Hunter."

Jeremy nodded, "She snapped his neck."

"After she fed from him. What makes you think she won't do the same to you?"

Connor heard a presence before quieting down. Elena came into the room, "Hey, Jeremy, where have you been?"

The newborn vampire looked to him and then to Bonnie's person who hadn't said a word to her, "Do you know where he's been?"

The Hunter shrugged, eyes devoid of emotion, similar to that of Jeremy who stood to his feet and slowly approached her. Elena looked down to the stake, furrowing her brows, "What's that?"

Neither one answered.

"Put it down," Elena tried again, looking up at Jeremy as she took a couple of steps away from him.

"Connor was right. All I can think about is killing vampires."

Elena breathed in nervously, "Jeremy...no. You're nothing like Connor."

"How would you_ know _that, Elena?" Connor stood to Bonnie's full height, "You killed him before you even got the chance to know him."

"What are you saying, Bonnie? He tried to _kill_ us!" Elena cried, turning to Connor exasperated and feeling as though she was being pushed into a corner.

Connor furrowed Bonnie's brows, "And that justifies the means, doesn't it Elena? The Salvatores sure have influenced you. _Especially_ Damon."

"Bonnie...why would you _say_ that?"

Connor raised Bonnie's chin, not answering her.

"Bonnie's right. I don't want to hurt you, Elena, but everything inside of me is telling me I need to drive this stake through your heart."

Elena gasped silently, feeling her eyes water as something in Connor began to not sit right.

"What's wrong with you two? It's _me_, Jeremy-Bonnie-"

"And you're a vampire."

"Yeah but I'm also your _sister,"_ Elena pressed. She grabbed his wrist, "Jer, I would never do anything to hurt you."

A tense moment of silence passed between the three.

The vampire looked down at Jeremy's hand to see blood as she felt her eyes and her hunger react to it accordingly. She then heard Jeremy whisper his disapproval in a betrayed tone. She also heard Bonnie take in a breath. Feeling distressed, Elena turned from them both as she grabbed her head, "Get that away from me."

"Jeremy," Connor started to stop him as the new Hunter went after Elena with the stake. She turned around in time and shoved him to the ground, gasping, "Oh God, Jeremy, I'm sorry. Jeremy!"

She knelt beside him as Connor gulped, "Elena, don't!"

"What? No, I _shoved _him, Bonnie. I have to make sure he's o-"

"Jeremy, no!"

He stabbed Elena in the neck, causing her to gag and still in shock and agony. He stood to his feet, walking behind her with another stake in hand. Next thing Connor knew, he was trying to hold Jeremy back, failing miserably, "No, Jeremy, don't! She's _Elena_. Don't!"

"Get off of me Bonnie."

"Jeremy, listen," Connor tried pushing him back further from the gagging girl, "You _can't_ kill Elena."

"Jeremy? Bonnie?" Connor heard Matt say at the door before his eyes widened and lunged for Jeremy, holding him back with more success than Connor did.

"_Get off of me!"_

_"_That's your _sister, _Bonnie and I are human, and we're telling you not to kill Elena! You don't want to do this," Matt tried, as Jeremy pushed both of them to the ground, heading back over to Elena who could only look up at him with pleading eyes. Connor watched with so much dread, only to hear Stefan telling Matt to take Jeremy away the nest moment. Connor missed him pushing the new Hunter against the wall, away from Elena. Matt did as Stefan told, leaving two vampires and the ex-Hunter alone.

"You ok, Bonnie?" Stefan asked to only have the girl stand to her feet and walk out of the room briskly.

* * *

Damon heard the commotion but saw Bonnie's body walk away from the mansion and to the lake in haste, clenching and unclenching its fists. He was by the ex-Hunter in no time, snatching up Bonnie's wrist to force him to look at him, "What did you do?"

Connor snatched the wrist free with a humorless laugh, " You mean what I _didn't_ do?"

Damon's brows knitted together in confusion.

"Prompted Jeremy to kill Elena. Stopped him instead," Bonnie's hands went up in the air exasperated, "I wanted her _dead_. I _know_ I did. But this fucking body wouldn't let me."

The dark haired man looked to the mansion to see Stefan helping Elena out of the house, "Guess you underestimated Bonnie Bennett's unfaltering loyalty to her friends."

"All I could see was memories that those two shared together," Connor shook the girl's head in disapproval, "It was like her body was trying to remind itself why killing Elena was a bad idea."

"_Uw. _So what _now_? You're trapped in a teenage girl's body that so happens to be the best friend of the girl that killed you." Damon smirked down at the ex-hunter, taunting him.

Connor looked down, sucking Bonnie's teeth in annoyance, "The thought of Elena dying makes me feel _sick_."

"Welcome to the party, Hunter. It was only a matter of time before you were affected by the Gilbert charm."

Bonnie's face distorted, disagreeing, "No. This is serious. You know what this body's initial reaction was when it saw Jeremy raise the stake at that Gilbert girl? It wanted to jump in the way."

Damon looked down at him, a frown making its way to his face.

"She sees her as her family. Family worth _dying_ for. That kind of loyalty is admirable but...I don't know. Easy to use against her? I don't like how she puts that girl before herself. Sure the brain gave me all those memories but those memories were _old_. It couldn't give me anything recent. Maybe a hug or two but it was always after her saving that girl's ass, and losing something in her life beforehand. That kind of friendship...isn't healthy, period. Caroline seems ok but _her? _I don't get it."

Connor turned to the lake, "Then again I think Bonnie was starting to see the same thing. It _is_ part of the reason why Bonnie's spirit is AWOL right now."

The ex-Hunter paused before chuckling, "My bad. That was something I should have kept to Bonnie's self."

Damon glared, "You know what Bonnie did that day?"

Connor looked up at him, shrugging as he started to walk away, "Yeah. I don't blame her either. Having access to her thoughts made me a little sympathetic. A little though."

He stopped, but didn't turn to face the vampire, "The Gilbert charm, huh? It's not worth the heartache."

With that final statement, he headed off the Lockwood estate.

* * *

Damon watched in awkward silence as his brother walked out the door, leaving him alone with Elena in the boarding house that night. Elena needed a place to stay since her brother was out to kill her. A part of Damon wondered why she didn't just stay with Caroline but he thought it better to keep that to himself. Plus, he would be lying if he wasn't happy to see her. After closing the door behind Stefan, he turned to the girl and made an unsure face, "Want a drink?"

Elena sighed, nodding, as they walked over to the living room. She sat down, hugging herself as Damon handed her a drink. They talked about the current situation, what with their brothers wanting to kill them (to which Damon raised his glass to declare her admittance to the club of brothers wanting to kill them) but then Elena let out a breath, confessing, "Jeremy can't live with me, Stefan wants to fix me, Caroline flat out admitted she doesn't like me this way, and Bonnie...I think she resents me. Think it's safe to say I'm not really good at this whole vampire thing."

Damon nodded, "Again...welcome to the club."

Elena grinned, "You know...that dance they did today? It reminded me-"

"When we danced together?" Damon finished for her. She nodded, taking in a breath, "I wanted to dance with you today...too."

He paused before setting his and hers drinks down, stood to his feet, and took her hand into his. She let him pull her up to her feet as they began to sway. If his heart was still in use it would stop, he thought, as he looked down into those doe eyes he loved so much, that he couldn't stay mad at. She leaned into him, brushing her lips against his as he pulled her flush against him, deepening it.

_"I also did it because I'm not sure how much you're really willing to get my granddaughter back."_

_More than you'll ever know._

Damon groaned in disapproval, pushing Elena up against the wall to try to keep the conflicting thoughts and feelings out, smashing his face into her neck.

"_...even if she were present and the current state of things never happened, who do you think she'd trust, between the two of us, to help her get back in touch with her magic?"_

Damon brought his face up from Elena's neck, looking down.

_"Need I remind you, you're trying to convince me not to kill you."_

_"You won't."_

"Damon?" Elena started breathlessly, grabbing his face to force him to look at her, "It's ok. I _want _this."

"_You care more about Bonnie than your desire to kill me."_

Damon just stared at her as she kissed him again.

_"...you know. You try really hard not to show you care about Bonnie."_

_"...you're not sure she cares about you like you care about her."_

He sighed against her lips, grabbing her hands to take them down from his face as he pulled away from the kiss. From her.

_"I never hated the witch."_

He looked at her, brows knitting together as more thoughts about the witch began to overtake his mind. Thoughts that tended to pop up and question _everything_. But this time around, it was stronger, louder, and inescapable. He couldn't push these to the deepest, darkest recesses of his brain. Not this time.

Elena furrowed her brows, "What?"

He untangled himself from her completely, replying inaudibly to the human ear, "...can't do this."

Elena, however, was no longer human, "W-wait. I don't get it. What do you mean you 'can't do this'?"

He gave her a grin that wasn't, at all, connected to his eyes, "We had a long day today, 'Lena, we...we should probably get some sleep."

"Huh?" Elena shook her head in the negative, "Damon, are you ok? Is something wrong? I-"

He bit his lip as she neared him, holding his face in her hands again as he leaned into them without thinking, "Damon, I lo-"

He winced, silencing her.

"Is it..." She swallowed, "someone else?"

He looked at her then, not answering her right away as she let go of him and laughed without humor, "_Wow_...I...wow."

Damon shook his head quickly, "It's not like that Elena. I'm...you're going to hate me for this but-I'm confused right now. And maybe you are too with your emotions heightened-"

"I'm _not_ confused, Damon. I know how and what I feel about you and that's that I love you."

The dark haired man's eyes widened at that, "You..."

"-love you. _I, love,_ _you_," she held his face to hers, touching their foreheads, "and you love me too."

He nodded, eyes focused on her, "You're right...I'm just not sure if it's in the way that I thought it was."

Elena furrowed her brows at that before nodding and biting her bottom lip, "All this time you went after me."

Damon stepped back. Elena let him, hands falling to her sides.

"The confessions you compelled me to forget? _Everything_ you've done for me to just...tell me that you're _confused_? That you're not sure if it's the kind of love you_ think_ it is?"

He looked down.

"...I'm going to bed," Her voice broke a bit as she took to the stairs, leaving the raven haired man to his jumbled thoughts.

"_Careful Damon. I might start to think you actually care."_

He chuckled in disbelief as he wiped at his face, exasperated, "You're sure it's not something _more _than that, Bonnie?"

His answer was silence.


End file.
